Acute myeloblastic leukemia in elderly patients: treatment and prognostic factors

The results of treatment of acute myeloblastic leukemia in patients over 60 years of age are evaluated in a retrospective study of 29 previously untreated patients. These results were very similar to those observed for younger patients, with 18 complete remissions (62, 1%), 6 early deaths, and 5 treatment failures. The median survival time was seven and one half months for all patients and 22 for the 18 patients achieving complete remissions. Nineteen patients received chemotherapy identical to that of younger patients (daunorubicin and cytarabine). The initial presence of poor prognostic factors (hyperleukocytosis, and infection) may explain the relativity high number of early deaths (21%). Elderly patients are apparently not exposed to a higher risk of death than younger patients. Daunorubicin toxicity does not appear to increase with age and this agent may therefore be used in the treatment of older patients.