[Current situation and perspective for treatment of acute myelogenous leukemia in adults]

The current situation and perspectives for the treatment of acute myelogenous leukemia in adults were summarized. Due to the recent progress of chemotherapy, the complete remission (CR) rate is close to 80% in adults with newly diagnosed acute myelogenous leukemia in Japan. On the other hand, the long-term disease-free survival rate is 30-40% in CR cases. The allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (allo BMT) during the first CR has a low relapse rate compared with that of chemo therapy. However, the therapy-related mortality is not inconsiderable, so, the time of allo BMT is controversial. Idarubicin has a superior CR rate as well as long-term disease-free survival in comparison with daunorubicin, and it is becoming the first line treatment for acute myelogenous leukemia in adults.