title: Adult acute myeloid leukaemia.
abstract: The curability of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) in a fraction of adult patients was demonstrated a long time ago. Currently, the probability of cure is consistently above fifty per cent in patients with de novo disease expressing favourable-risk associated cytogenetic features. Even better, the cure rate exceeds 75% in the acute promyelocytic subtype since the introduction of retinoic acid-containing regimens. In the meantime, continuing progress in supportive care systems and stem cell transplant procedures is making myeloablative therapies, when needed, somewhat less toxic-and thereby more effective-than in the recent past. Therefore, evidence is accumulating to indicate an improved therapeutic trend over the years, with the notable exception of older (>55 years) patients with adverse-risk chromosomal aberrations and/or leukemia secondary to myelodysplasia or prior cancer-related chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. This review conveys the many facets of this progress, focusing on diagnostic subsets, risk classes, newer biological issues and conventional as well as innovative therapeutic interventions with or without autologous/allogeneic stem cell transplantation.
authors.affiliation: St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barnett
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bassan
authors.forename: Gemma
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gatta
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tondini
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kern
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors