title: [Therapy of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) for medically non-fit patients].
abstract: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has an increasing incidence with higher age, which is about 15 per 100,000 for patients > 65 years. Many older AML patients show functional restrictions and have a high comorbidity status, so that they do not seem to be qualified for a curatively intended chemotherapy. Decisive for the low cure rate of older AML patients are both patient-dependent and disease-dependent reasons such as secondary or therapy-related leukemia or adverse cytogenetics with complex chromosomal abnormalities, which are poor prognostic factors and are responsible for the low probability to achieve long-lasting complete remissions. Prognostic scores are developed for identifying "medically non-fit" patients as objectively as possible. In the future, these patients should not only be offered best supportive care but also well-tolerable concepts of therapy, which are feasible on an ambulatory basis. The main aim for this patient group must be to avoid long hospitalizations and to maintain a high quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik III, Klinikum der Universität München - Grosshadern, München.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fritsch
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Buske
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wörmann
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Wedding
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hiddemann
authors.forename: Karsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Spiekermann
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010166:Palliative Care; D011788:Quality of Life