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Acute Megakaryoblastic Leukemia (AMKL) is a rare subtype of acute myeloid leukemia classified as AML M7 by the French-American-British (FAB) Leukemia Cooperative Study Group. We reviewed the records of children aged less than 18 years with AMKL during the period from January 2003 to December 2010. The diagnosis of AMKL was established on the basis of the FAB criteria and confirmed by immunophenotyping. Eight cases were assigned for this period. The incidence rate of AMKL was 5.5 % of AML. The median age at the time of diagnosis was 1 year. The karyotype presented translocation (1, 22) in two cases. One girl had Down syndrome (DS). Treatment included two inductions based on daunorubicin and cytosine arabinoside (7+3) followed by two consolidations with high dose of cytosine arabinoside (16 g/m 2 ). Complete remission (CR) was achieved in 3 patients (43%). One patient underwent allogeneic stem cell transplant (SCT) and is still enjoying continuous CR 5 years after treatment. Other patients died from failure or relapse. In this small series from a single institution, reported incidence of AMKL is underestimated probably due to the difficulties of diagnosis. The prognosis was poor, particularly because of unavailability of intensified chemotherapy treatment and allogeneic SCT.

Objective: The principal aim of this work is to describe the different measures taken by three departments involved in treatment of patients followed for cancer during the SARS pandemic COVID-19. Method: A prospective study, using anonymous questionnaire, among the medical and paramedical team of hematology, medical oncology and radiotherapy during the pandemic. Results: The staff nursing was mainly constituted by a paramedical team (71,5%), with female predominance at 77,8%, sex ratio F/M=3,5, the high majority range age of the team was 30-45 years, living as a couple (52,4%). During the Covid pandemic, all our staff used bib, normal bib (76,2%), FPP2 (20,6%) combined bib (FFP2/normal) in 28,6% with visor in 6,3%. The duration of using of the same bib was variable, it has been used for 12h and more in 52, 5% and during 4h, 6h and 8h in 12,5%, 7, 5% and 27,5% respectively. For the out work management, more than half of our team return home without confinement to their family or children and only 8% have been confined on hotel. Our staff expressed a very important professional impact in 87,3% as well as in their personal lives in 85,7%.Conclusion: The vulnerability of the patients followed for cancer had obliged heath professional in this field to be even more rigorous and more vigilant on protective measures while ensuring continuity of care during the COVID pandemic. Our study illustrates that, despite the staff’s efforts of adaptation, the impact in personal and professional lives has been not negligible.

Cytogenetic abnormalities are frequently reported in the literature describing the presence of chromosomal rearrangements in important cases of acute myeloid leukemia (AML); the rate can reach 50–60% of cases of AML. Cytogenetic abnormalities represent an important prognosis factor, their analysis is crucial for AML; cytogenetic study permits to classify prognostic groups and indicate the treatment strategy and helps to improve the outcome of these patients and to increase their chances of cure. Hundreds of uncommon chromosomal aberrations from AML exist. This chapter summarizes chromosomal abnormalities that are common and classifies AML according to the World Health Organization (WHO) classifications from 2008 to 2016; we will discuss briefly gene mutations detected in normal karyotype (NK) AML by cutting-edge next-generation sequencing technology, like FLT3-ITD, nucleophosmin (NPM1), CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha (CEBPA), and other additional mutations.