Current status and perspectives of therapy for acute myeloid leukemia

Intensification of induction and postremission chemotherapies has resulted in a steady improvement in outcomes for adults with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) over the past two decades. The global response to initial therapy is now in the range of 60% to 80%, with 20% to 30% of patients experiencing long-term disease-free survival. Modern methodologies have revealed that cytogenetic aberrations are closely related to treatment outcome and have allowed subgroups of patients to be identified who have AML with a good, intermediate, or poor prognosis. The actions and interactions of cytogenetics and therapy in determining treatment outcome have been investigated in a series of clinical trials conducted by the German AML Cooperative Group. Evidence is presented that therapy and cytogenetics can independently influence outcome. It is hoped that our increasing understanding of the biological mechanisms that dictate disease characteristics will lead to improved outcomes for patients with AML.