Chemotherapy for patients with acute myeloid leukemia in first remission

Although the majority of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) achieve a complete remission with induction chemotherapy, most will ultimately relapse. Therefore, the optimal postremission therapy for AML remains to be defined, and further improvements in treatment strategies are required. Clinical trials have demonstrated that early intensive consolidation therapy with high-dose cytarabine can produce prolonged responses in up to 40% of patients in remission after standard induction therapy. Equally, however, it has been shown that high-dose cytarabine used in induction therapy can deliver equivalent long-term results. Autologous and allogeneic stem cell transplantation in first remission are also valid alternatives, but the value of low-dose maintenance treatment seems confined to acute promyelocytic leukemia. Further improvement in the treatment of AML is likely to depend on the development of new strategies, such as molecularly targeted or immune therapies.