Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40971875›Full record

ArticlePloS one2025

Low survival in younger adults with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) in Tanzania linked to high disease burden and socioeconomic factors.

Michelle Munroe, Clara Chamba, Mbonea Yonazi, Samira Mahfudh, William Mawalla, Kelvin Mbelekwa, Gladys Kaaya, Rebbecca Mwakichako, Johnson Mshiu, Magdalena Lyimo and 2 more

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Article in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Michelle MunroeDepartment of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.ORCID 0009-0005-9597-2922
Clara ChambaDepartment of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.ORCID 0000-0001-5154-7872
Mbonea YonaziDepartment of Hematology, Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.ORCID 0000-0002-0764-0196
Samira MahfudhDepartment of Hematology, Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
William MawallaDepartment of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Kelvin MbelekwaMinistry of Health, Georgetown, Guyana.ORCID 0009-0000-0717-1791
Gladys KaayaDepartment of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Rebbecca MwakichakoDepartment of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Johnson MshiuNational Institute for Medical Research, Muhimbili Research Center, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Magdalena LyimoDepartment of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Mwashungi AllyDepartment of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Ahlam NasserDepartment of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAcute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) accounts for 20-25% of all leukemia diagnosed worldwide. According to Globoccan 2020, leukemia ranked the 15th most prevalent cancer with an estimated 474,519 new cases and 311,594 deaths annually. However, due to scarcity of well documented cancer registries, epidemiological and survival data of patients with AML is lacking in many African countries, including Tanzania. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to determine the clinical features, laboratory characteristics and survival outcomes of AML patients treated with different regimens in Tanzania.

methodsData from all adult patients diagnosed with AML at Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) between January 2018 and December 2023 were analyzed in this retrospective study. STATA version 16 was used for data analysis. The survival outcome was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. To evaluate the statistical significance of the results, a p-value cut-off of 0.05 was used. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to identify predictors of survival and to estimate the effect of covariates on the hazard of death. Kruskal Wallis was used to compare the median values for laboratory results and pairwise comparison of median laboratory values was done using the Dunn Test.

resultsA total of 245 patients were diagnosed with acute leukemia during the five-year period (2018-2023), of which 169 (68%) had AML. The mean age at diagnosis was 47.2 (SD ± 18.5) years. Majority of the patients were females (60.7%), and had de novo AML. Most of the patients presented with symptoms of anemia (98.2%) and fever (79.5%). The median survival time was 81 days with a one-year overall survival probability of 15.2%. Patients that resided outside of the Dar es Salaam region had a 74% increase hazard of mortality compared to those living within the Dar es Salaam region (aHR: 1.74, 95% CI: 1.15-2.64, p = 0.008). Patients receiving any form of chemotherapy had a 39% lower hazard of mortality compared to those who were on supportive treatment alone (aHR: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.40-0.93, p = 0.022).

conclusionAML is the most common acute leukemia among adults in Tanzania, primarily affecting young females under 50 years. Resource constraints and limited treatment options result in poor outcomes, with a median survival of 81 days and one-year overall survival of 15.2%.

Indexed as

Leukemia, Myeloid, AcuteAdolescentAdultCost of IllnessFemaleHumansKaplan-Meier EstimateMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesSocioeconomic FactorsTanzaniaYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID40971875
PMCPMC12449018

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.