title: Clinical results and issues of acute myeloid leukemia in elderly patients aged 75 years and older.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Clinical outcomes of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in elderly patients still remain unsatisfactory and the optimal treatment has yet to be clearly established. This report describes the results of a retrospective study of clinical outcomes and prognostic factors of AML in patients aged 75 years and older. In addition, we aimed to elucidate the situation of patients with AML accompanied by dementia, which has been largely ignored in previous studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects consisted of 31 patients with untreated AML (including previous myelodysplastic syndrome: AML/MDS). All patients underwent chemotherapy, with 25 undergoing conventional therapy and six undergoing low-intensity therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Complete remission was obtained in 16 of the 31 cases (51.6%), with a 3-year survival rate of 11.5%. However, in seven cases, Alzheimer's disease (AD) was observed. Although we were able to perform induction therapy in each of these cases, consolidation therapy was difficult in cases of moderate AD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study suggest that even very elderly patients can benefit from chemotherapy. However, it is thought that the treatment selection for cases which are complicated by moderate to severe dementia should be determined carefully while considering the patient's quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, Hachioji Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan. umegaki@med.nagoya-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Shine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Kiyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kanaya
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kikukawa
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: Tomotaka
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akai
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takata
authors.forename: Hirofumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sakurai
authors.forename: Kouichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Mayumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Toshihiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwamoto
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003704:Dementia / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D012074:Remission Induction; D015996:Survival Rate