Five hundred and sixty cases of leukemia collected from eight medical centers in
Korea during the past 10-year period from 1954 to 1963 were analyzed. The results of
the analyzed. The results of the analyzed were as follows
1) Annual incidence : The number of patients shorted increasing tendency but the
period of report from each Hospital was not identical, and the accurate rate of increase
could not be figured out.
2) Sex incidence : Out of the 560 case3 362 (64.6%) were male and 198 (35.4%) were
female and the sect ratio of male : female was 1.8 : 1. The sex ratio in children was
2.2 : 1.
3) Age incidence: Of the total 185 cases (33.6%) occurred among children under 15
years of age, 324 cases (57.9%) at aloes 15∼50, and t8 cases (8.5%) at ages above 50.
The Peak incidence was found in children under 10 years of age.
4) Incidence according to cellular type and chronicity : 72.5% of the total was acute
leukemia and 27.5% chronic. In children below 15 years of ages 90% were acute.
The frequency of the major types of leukemia was as follows :
No. of cases %
Acute myelocytic leukemia 219 39.1
Acute lymphocytic leukemia 131 23.4
Monocytic leukemia 26 4.6
Chronic myelocytic leukemia 143 25.5
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia 8 1.4
Others 33 5.9
Others (33 cases) included : Acute, unclassified 11
Stem cell leukemia 10
Leucosarcoma 4
Erythroleukemia 3
Chloroma 2
Multiple myeloma or plasmacytoma 3
In acute leukemia the ratio of myelocytic : lymphocytic was 1.7 : 1 The acute
lymphocytic leukemia was most frequently seen in the age group of 0∼5 and decreased
in number gradually thereafter. In chronic leukemia, the ratio of myelocytic :
lymphocytic was 17.8 : 1. The incidence of the chronic lymphocytic leukemia was very
low (1.4% ) compared to that reported from U.S. and european countries. The incidence
of chronic myelocytic leukemia was lour in children and increased gradually by the age
with a peak incidence at the 30-40 year of age group and decreased gradually
thereafter.
5) Hematologic Findings
a) Hemoglobin value: In acute leukemia, 5156 of the cases showed low hemoglobin
value less than 6g/100m1. Only 6% of the cases had hemoglobin more than 12g/100ml.
in chronic leukemia, 16% of the cases had hemoglobin level less than 6g/100ml. and
most of :he cases had hemoglobin level between 6 and 12g/100ml.
b) Leukocyte Counts: In acute leukemia 20% of the cases had counts below 5,000,
13% between 5,000 and 10,000. One third (33%) of the patients were therefore
"subleukemic" or "aleukemic" 31% of the acute cases had counts more than 50,000. In
chronic leukemia, 75% of the cases had counts more than 50,000.
c) Platelet Counts: In acute leukemia, 55% of the cases had counts below 50,000 and
25% more than 150,000 while in chronic leukemia 14% of the cases had counts below
50,000 and 63% more than 150,000.
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