Race and intensity of post-remission therapy in acute myeloid leukemia

BackgroundIn many cancers, including AML, blacks have poorer overall survival. We investigated whether differences in post-remission therapy (PRT) were a contributing factor.MethodsWe compared PRT cycle number and intensity and time to PRT in blacks and whites, among 460 patients with newly diagnosed AML.ResultsBlacks and whites had PRT of equal cycle intensity and number, but black patients experienced a significant delay in starting PRT (2.73 months in blacks vs. 1 month in whites, p = 0.047). Overall survival was equivalent in blacks and whites.ConclusionPRT is delayed in blacks but does not explain differences in survival.