A Biological Perspective: Epidemiology of Acute Leukemia in Souss Massa

Acute leukemia is a type of blood cancer characterized by the rapid and uncontrolled proliferation of abnormal immature cells in the bone marrow. It is divided into two main forms: acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Common symptoms include severe fatigue, paleness, easy bleeding and bruising, frequent infections, bone and joint pain, as well as swollen lymph nodes. Acute lymphoid and myeloid leukemias account for 10 to 15% of malignant hematological disorders and are rare conditions, with the majority having a poor prognosis, except for a few specific forms. Acute myeloid leukemias (AML) have a consistent incidence over time, ranging from 2.5 to 3.5 per 100,000 population per year in Western countries. We conducted a retrospective descriptive study on the medical records of patients with acute leukemia between January 2023 and June 2024 (6 months), classified according to the criteria of the Franco-American-British (FAB) group. During this period, 68 cases of acute leukemia were diagnosed. The age of the patients ranged from 4 years to 87 years, with a mean age of 26 years. The male-to-female sex ratio was 1.40, favoring males. Acute leukemias were observed across all age groups. Cytological and cytochemical examination of bone marrow smears showed a predominance of acute myeloid leukemias at 64.7% (n=44), with 24 cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemias (35.3%). The study results provide valuable insights into the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with acute leukemias. No precise statistics on acute leukemia have been conducted to date in our region. Our study could serve as a foundation for future research in this area. Indeed, the new WHO classification utilizes a comprehensive approach that incorporates cytological, cytogenetic, immunophenotypic, and molecular biology data to classify acute leukemias with both diagnostic and prognostic objectives. Outside of these distinguishing features, ...