title: Optimal induction and post-remission therapy for AML in first remission.
abstract: Approximately 300,000 patients in the world are diagnosed annually with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The median age at presentation has been steadily increasing over the past few decades and now is approaching 70 years. Although considerable progress has been made over the past 3 decades in the therapy of AML, two thirds of young adults still die of their disease. The therapy of AML, unlike acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), is based on maximally tolerated induction and post-remission therapy, all given within a few months from diagnosis. While complete remission can be achieved in the majority of young patients, ultimate cure of the disease depends on disease eradication through the administration of post-remission therapy. This is most often done with intensive chemotherapy. Harnessing the immunologic effect of graft-versus-leukemia, as in allogeneic transplantation, has further improved the outcome for many patients. Treatment of older adults, representing the majority of patients with AML, remains quite unsatisfactory. While 40% to 50% can achieve a complete remission, less than 10% are long-term survivors, and the cure rate of older patients has only minimally improved over the past three decades. Significant progress in the treatment of this age group is urgently required. New and targeted agents have much promise, but a definitive clinical role for these has yet to be conclusively established.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Rambam Medical Center and Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel. rowe@jimmy.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Jacob M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Rowe
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003630:Daunorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D020544:Graft vs Leukemia Effect; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D019520:Living Donors; D008875:Middle Aged; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012074:Remission Induction; D015996:Survival Rate; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003561:Cytarabine; D003630:Daunorubicin