New figures show fall in childhood mortality rates from acute leukemia

A recent report brings good news about childhood leukemia's mortality rate, that suggests a marked decrease in deaths over the past 15 years, associated with a better five-year survival rate.

Between 1990 and 2005, mortality rates for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (type of tumor that affects the blood) in children declined in both sexes for all ages, except in children younger than 1 year old, and five-year survival rates in recent years has reached 90%, according to an article published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

The report of the University of Colorado School of Medicine, USA, points out the clinical trials conducted in the area as the main drivers for improving survival rates, helping clinicians to define the correct dosage of drugs with better accuracy.

Study author Dr. Stephen Hunger has applauded the good news, reminding that until 1960 this type of tumor was considered incurable, and “now we see a 90% cure rate. That's very remarkable.”

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