Availability of all-trans retinoic acid and support systems for management of acute promyelocytic leukemia in Michigan and Louisiana, USA

Abstract

Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is a subtype of acute myeloid leukemia with high induction mortality in the general population despite evidence of high cure rates in the clinical trials. Aggressive supportive care is essential for ideal management of these patients. We conducted a survey to collect data on these important issues required for successful treatment/outcome of APL patients from two states (Michigan and Louisiana) due to their low one-year survival rate among the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registries. All eligible hospitals (253) were obtained from the Data Medicare online directory. Availability of ATRA, formulary process to obtain it, blood back availability and established treatment protocols for the management of APL patients were queried. Since most of the hospitals surveyed do not have a treatment protocol, we believe that outcome could be improved if a standardized and simplified set of treatment and supportive care guidelines are developed for all hospitals treating APL.