Patients with relapsed core binding factor acute myeloid leukemia (CBF-AML) who have certain genetic abnormalities tend to experience short survival, according to a retrospective analysis involving 92 individuals. Outcomes are particularly worse for those with the t (8; 21) abnormality. Investigators looked at overall survival in participants treated at a single institution between 1990 and 2014. Among the results:

• ~Two-thirds of patients had inv (16) and the remainder t (8; 21) abnormalities.
• Median survival for the inv (16) group was 15.6 months, vs 9 months in the t (8;21) contingent.
• Increased age, high white blood cell count, t (8; 21) cytogenetic group, and high bone marrow blast percentage were linked with poor overall outcome.
• Stem cell transplant was linked with better survival.
• Additional cytogenetic aberrations at relapse were not linked with survival outcomes.
• Patients with t (8;21) abnormalities were 80% more likely to die after adjusting for certain variables.