Incidence and Mortality Rate Trends

Incidence and Mortality
U.S. Leukemia Incidence*
Rate Trends
15
Leukemia, the most common blood cancer, includes
12
several diseases. The four major types are acute
lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), chronic lymphocytic
9
leukemia (CLL), acute myelogenous leukemia (AML),
and chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Although
6
affecting approximately 10 times more adults than
dence per 100,000
children, leukemia is the most common cancer among
Inci
3
children, with ALL accounting for approximately 72
percent of all childhood leukemias. The most common
0
type of leukemia in adults is AML, followed by CLL,
1985
1989
1993
1997
2001
2005
CML, and ALL.
U.S. Leukemia Mortality*
The incidence and mortality rates for leukemia have
15
decreased slightly over the last 20 years and are higher
in whites than in other racial and ethnic groups.
12
Overall, men are more susceptible than women to
leukemia.
9
It is estimated that approximately $2.6 billion1 is
spent in the United States each year on treatment for
ty per 100,000
6
leukemia.
Mortali
3
Source for incidence and mortality data: Surveillance,
Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program and the National
Center for Health Statistics. Additional statistics and charts are
0
available at http://seer.cancer.gov/.
1985
1989
1993
1997
2001
2005
1Cancer Trends Progress Report (http://progressreport.cancer.gov),
in 2004 dollars, based on methods described in Medical Care
Whites
Hispanics**
African Americans
2002 Aug; 40 (8 Suppl): IV-104-17.
Asians/Pacific Islanders**
*Significant data for American Indians/Alaskan Natives not available.
**Data for Hispanics and Asians/Pacific Islanders not available before 1992.
Trends in NCI Funding for
NCI Leukemia Research Investment
$4.8B
$4.8B
5
Leukemia Research
$4.7B
$4.7B
250
$4.6B
$220.6M
$223.5M
$214.7M

$205.5M
The National Cancer Institute’s (NCI’s) investment2
$200.9M
4
200
in leukemia research increased between fiscal years
s
s
2003 and 2006 but decreased to $205.5 million in
3
150
fiscal year 2007.
i
Source: NCI Office of Budget and Finance (http://obf.cancer.
100
2
gov/).
Millions of Dollar
Billions of Dollar
2The estimated NCI investment is based on funding associated
50
1
with a broad range of peer-reviewed scientific activities. For
additional information on research planning and budgeting at the
National Institutes of Health, see http://www.nih.gov/about/.
0
0
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
Fiscal Year
Leukemia Funding
Total NCI Budget
Developed by NCI’s Office of Science Planning and Assessment (OSPA) with assistance from SAIC. Snapshots can be found online at: http://planning.cancer.gov/disease/snapshots.shtml.

---

Examples of NCI Activities
What You Need to Know
Relevant to Leukemia
About™ Leukemia
• The leukemia-specific Specialized Program of
This booklet discusses possible
Research Excellence (SPORE) is identifying novel
causes, symptoms, diagnosis,
targets for leukemia therapy, causes of resistance
treatment, and rehabilitation.
to chemotherapy, ways to reduce or eliminate
It also has information to help
graft-versus-host disease following bone marrow
patients cope with leukemia.
transplant, and genetic risk factors for AML. http://
spores.nci.nih.gov/current/leukemia/leukemia.html
Risk factors for leukemia
include: very high levels of
• The CLL Research Consortium includes
radiation, working with certain
investigators studying the genetics of CLL, novel
chemicals (such as benzene or
immunotherapy and gene therapy techniques,
formaldehyde), chemotherapy, Down syndrome,
and treatment strategies. http://cll.ucsd.edu
human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV-1) infection,
• NCI’s Strategic Partnering to Evaluate Cancer
and myelodysplastic syndrome.
Signatures (SPECS) program is exploring the
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/leukemia
use of comprehensive molecular analyses
Information specialists can also answer questions about
to improve treatment outcomes. One SPECS
cancer at 1-800-4-CANCER.
project is classifying cancers of the lymphatic
system, including leukemia, in genetic terms.
• The Mouse Models of Human Cancers Consortium
The project is also identifying the genetic
(MMHCC) has developed several models available
characteristics of clinical response that can be
to the research community to study hematologic
used to select appropriate therapy for patients.
malignancies. http://emice.nci.nih.gov/mouse_
http://cancerdiagnosis.nci.nih.gov/specs/index.htm
models/organ_models/hema_models
• NCI’s Familial Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
• The Leukemia Home Page directs visitors to
program is studying families with several cases
up-to-date information on leukemia treatment,
of CLL to find the gene, or genes, that cause CLL
prevention, genetics, causes, and other topics.
in families, determine whether families prone to
http://www.cancer.gov/leukemia
CLL are at greater risk for other kinds of leukemia
or cancer, and identify markers of risk in family
members. http://dceg.cancer.gov/geb/research/
activeclinical/blood/cll-info
Selected Advances in Leukemia Research
• A Phase II clinical trial found that the multitargeted
• Cytogenetics, or the structure and behavior
drug dasatinib (Sprycel™) might be very beneficial
of chromosomes, is an important factor in
in adults with ALL who do not respond to another
predicting whether a treatment is likely to work
targeted agent, imatinib mesylate (Gleevec®).
in adults with ALL. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/results/dasatinib-
pubmed/18156492
ALL0507
• Researchers discovered how a novel drug,
• The addition of two courses of arsenic trioxide
batracylin, blocks the DNA replication machinery
(As O ) therapy following remission significantly
of leukemia cells and eventually kills them. The
2
3
improves overall and event-free survival in adults
team also discovered a method for tracking how
with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). http://
well the drug works in patients. http://www.cancer.
www.asco.org/portal/site/ASCO/menuitem.34d60f56
gov/newscenter/pressreleases/batracylin
24ba07fd506fe310ee37a01d/?vgnextoid=76f8201eb6
1a7010VgnVCM100000ed730ad1RCRD&vmview=a
bst_detail_view&confID=47&abstractID=30310
Last updated September 2008

---

Document Outline

• A Snapshot of Leukemia
  • Incidence and Mortality Rate Trends
  • Trends in NCI Funding for Leukemia Research
  • Examples of NCI Activities Relevant to Leukemia
  • Selected Advances in Leukemia Research

---