Alternative novel therapies for the treatment of elderly acute myeloid leukemia patients

Abstract

With a median age at diagnosis of approximately 65-70 years, acute myeloid leukemia (AML) represents a major therapeutic challenge in the elderly. Only 30-35% of elderly patients with AML are considered eligible for intensive chemotherapy and do actually receive it. However, the long-term benefit associated with intensive chemotherapy remains marginal, and the overall outcome for this population remains poor. The remaining 60-65% of elderly AML patients receives supportive care only. Nevertheless, several studies have indicated that patients who receive any therapy had a better outcome if compared with patients who receive supportive care only. Thus, the development of novel, less toxic, targeted agents is offering new options to older AML patients who are unfit for intensive approaches. In the present review, we will report on the results achieved using intensive chemotherapy and novel agents, and will describe some of the new strategies under development for treating older AML patients.