Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML): treatment of the older patient

Undertreatment of the older patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) can explain, in part, their inferior outcome when compared with that of younger patients. Corresponding to the benefit to patients under the age of 60 from high-dose Ara-C there are also dose effects in those over 60 years old, in particular for daunorubicin in the induction treatment, and for the quantity in terms of duration of postremission treatment. The use of these effects can partly overcome the mostly unfavourable disease biology seen in older age AML patients, which is expressed by the absence of favourable and the over-representation of adverse chromosomal abnormalities as well as by the expression of drug resistance. We recommend an adequate dosage of 60 mg/m(2)daunorubicin for 3 days in combination with standard dose Ara-C and 6-thioguanine given for induction and consolidation, followed by a prolonged monthly maintenance chemotherapy for a duration of at least 1 year. Further improvements in supportive care may help in delivering additional anti-leukaemic cytotoxicity. As a novel approach, non-myeloablative preparative regimens may open up the field of allogeneic transplantation for older patients with AML. Given that the actual median age in this disease is more than 60 years the management of older age AML remains as the major challenge.