Favorable outcomes after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in children with high-risk or advanced acute myeloid leukemia.

The role of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), including transplantation from an alternative donor (AD), has not been clearly defined for children with high-risk or advanced acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We retrospectively reviewed outcomes in 29 children (median age at HSCT, 6.7 y; range, 1.0-16.2 y) with high-risk or advanced AML who underwent allogeneic HSCT at the Asan Medical Center between 1998 and 2008. Donors included a matched sibling donor (MSD) for 7 patients (24%), an unrelated volunteer for 21 patients (72%), and a haploidentical mother for 1 patient (3%). The 3-year estimates of overall survival and event-free survival (EFS) were 77% [95% confidence interval (CI), 65%-99%] and 70% (95% CI, 57%-93%), respectively, whereas the cumulative incidences of relapse and transplant-related mortality were 33% (95% CI, 5%-58%) and 7% (95% CI, 0%-44%), respectively. The 3-year EFS rates did not differ between MSD and AD HSCT. Univariate analysis showed that age ≥ 10 years at diagnosis was the only factor associated with poorer EFS. Development of acute graft-versus-host disease predicted a significantly lower incidence of relapse. These findings may provide further evidence that allogeneic HSCT is a curative therapy for children with high-risk or advanced AML, and suggest the efficacy of AD transplantation.