Acute and Chronic Leukemia in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review.

What was studied

This review looked at acute and chronic leukemia in sub-Saharan Africa. It focused on reported cases, treatment outcomes, follow-up time and survival. The team searched several databases, including African journals. It covered papers from 1975 to July 15, 2025. 94 studies were screened by title. 32 articles were included.

What they found

The 32 studies reported 2537 leukemia cases. 1644 were acute and 893 were chronic. AML made up 947 cases, CML 720 and ALL 450. CLL made up 173. 244 cases were unclassified leukemias. Survival ranged from 2 weeks to 5 years. Follow-up lasted from 11 months up to 7 years. 273 leukemia-related deaths were reported.

What it means for patients

The paper says acute leukemias were more common than chronic ones. It says AML was the most often reported type. It says outcomes remained poor, with high death rates and substantial loss to follow-up. It says better diagnosis, standard treatment protocols and stronger monitoring are needed.

Why it is not certain yet

Survival ranged widely, from weeks to years. Many people were lost to follow-up. The abstract does not give study quality. A review can only be as good as the studies in it.

Source

Acute and Chronic Leukemia in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review.

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