Specific improvements include the availability of new drug therapies 11 - 13 and the development of reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HCT). 9 Notably, the median survival for all patients in this older age group was only 2.4 months.ĭuring the last decade, new strategies have emerged for treating AML. 2 In the US, approximately a decade ago, analysis of data in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) cancer registry and Medicare claims database (SEER-Medicare) (1991-1999) found that 33.8% of AML patients aged 65 years or over received chemotherapy, though the curative or palliative intent of treatment could not be ascertained. 2, 7 - 10 A recent study from the Swedish Acute Leukemia Registry showed that the proportions of patients eligible for intensive treatment depended on age and performance status, and suggested that fit AML patients up to 80 years of age should be considered for intensive therapy. 5ĭespite the paucity of clinical studies evaluating different treatment options in older AML patients, 6 there is some evidence available on treatment practices and associated outcomes in older AML patients.

2 - 4 This poor survival reflects the higher frequency in older patients of poor prognostic factors and comorbidities, as well as a preference among physicians not to treat older patients as aggressively because of the expectation that they are less likely to benefit from intensive therapies. 1 A few population-based studies have reported 3-year survival rates of only 9-10% and 5-year survival of 3-8% in patients aged 60 years and older, compared with 5-year survival rates of up to 50% for younger patients. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the second most common type of leukemia among United States (US) adults with an age-adjusted incidence of 3.6 per 100,000 per year and a median age of 69 years at diagnosis.

Female age progression stories