Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 30, 2026
09:57
Comprehensive Protocol to Sample and Process Bone Marrow for Measuring Measurable Residual Disease and Leukemic Stem Cells in Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Published on: March 5, 2018
Acute myeloblastic leukaemia in the elderly
J A Copplestone1, A G Prentice
1Department of Haematology, Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, U.K.
Leukemia Research
|January 1, 1988
Summary
Acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) disproportionately affects the elderly, with poorer outcomes compared to younger patients. Specific clinical trials are needed to address treatment tolerance and intrinsic disease differences in older adults.
Area of Science:
- Hematology
- Geriatric Medicine
- Oncology
Background:
- Acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) predominantly impacts the elderly, with median presentation age in the 70s.
- Incidence in the UK exceeds 20 per 100,000 population annually for ages 80-84.
- Current AML trials largely exclude elderly patients, leading to underrepresentation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the challenges in treating elderly AML patients.
- To underscore the need for age-specific research in AML.
- To advocate for tailored therapeutic strategies and prognostic assessments for older adults.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing AML trial demographics and outcomes.
- Analysis of age-related differences in AML presentation and progression.
- Identification of factors contributing to poorer treatment response in the elderly.
Main Results:
- Elderly AML patients exhibit significantly worse outcomes than younger counterparts.
- Treatment tolerance is a major concern in older individuals.
- Intrinsic biological differences may exist between AML in the elderly and younger populations.
Conclusions:
- Standard AML treatments are often less effective in the elderly.
- Randomized, prospective trials specifically for elderly AML patients are essential.
- Further research should focus on prognostic scoring and optimized therapy intensity for this demographic.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Disorders of Leukocytes
Leukocyte disorders can lead to either leukopenia, characterized by an abnormally low leukocyte count, or leukocytosis, marked by a very high leukocyte number.
Leukopenia may result from bone marrow disorders, autoimmune diseases, and infectious diseases. For example, conditions such as multiple myeloma and aplastic anemia can impair the bone marrow's ability to produce adequate leukocytes. Similarly, autoimmune diseases like lupus and viral infections such as HIV can prompt the immune system...
Leukopenia may result from bone marrow disorders, autoimmune diseases, and infectious diseases. For example, conditions such as multiple myeloma and aplastic anemia can impair the bone marrow's ability to produce adequate leukocytes. Similarly, autoimmune diseases like lupus and viral infections such as HIV can prompt the immune system...
01:15Drug Dosing: Geriatric Patients
Elderly individuals encompass a diverse population with varying degrees of age-related physiological changes. Defining the elderly presents challenges, as the geriatric population is often arbitrarily categorized as individuals older than 65. However, many individuals in this group lead active and healthy lives, with an increasing number surpassing 85 years and falling into the older elderly category. Physiological changes associated with aging impact performance capacity and homeostatic...
01:00Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Distribution
Drug distribution in the human body is influenced by several factors, including plasma protein concentration, body composition, blood flow, tissue-protein concentration, and tissue fluid pH. Among these, changes in plasma protein concentration and body composition due to aging significantly affect how drugs are distributed within the body. Specifically, aging is associated with a decrease in albumin levels by about 10% and an increase in α1-acid glycoprotein levels. These alterations are not...
01:18Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Metabolism
Geriatric patients show significant variation in how their bodies process medications, which can change how effective and safe treatments are. The liver is the primary organ where drug metabolism occurs, involving two main types of chemical reactions: phase I and II. Phase I metabolism is driven by the cytochrome P450 enzyme system, which includes key types such as CYP3A, CYP2D6, and CYP2C9. Research indicates that while aging doesn't notably alter the levels or activity of these enzymes, it...
01:18Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Excretion
In geriatric patients, renal physiology undergoes significant changes, including diminished renal blood flow and a lower glomerular filtration rate (GFR), leading to alterations in medication clearance. Drugs such as aminoglycoside antibiotics, lithium, and digoxin, which rely on glomerular filtration for removal from the body, particularly impact pharmacokinetics. These drugs tend to have slower clearance rates in older adults, necessitating careful dosage considerations.Evaluation of renal...
01:27Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age
Age-related pharmacokinetic changes are extensively documented, but understanding age-related pharmacodynamic alterations is relatively limited. This knowledge gap can be partly attributed to the complexity of developing appropriate measures of drug responses compared to bioanalytical methods for determining drug concentrations.Most information regarding age-related differences in human pharmacodynamics originates from cross-sectional studies. However, these studies assume that observed mean...