Acute myeloid leukemia: the young survive while the old perish
Acute myeloid leukemia is treated by chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation. The treatment is usually divided into two main stages, the induction and the consolidation phases. Induction phase includes chemotherapy, sometimes at a high dosage, which may be combined with other drugs collectively known as targeted therapy, including midostaurin and cladribine. After achieving good results detected by a blood counts, what usually follows is consolidation therapy, involving chemotherapy or a combination of chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation.
The doses of chemotherapy are likely to be too high, however. They may not be tolerated by some patients, especially seniors and those with an inadequate renal and liver functions. Actually, administering chemotherapy to these patients may be risky or even fatal. Stem cell transplantation is also a risky procedure due to the risk of rejection and life-threatening infections. The risk of failure of stem cell transplantation increases with age, so it may not be a good option for the old. The restriction of treatment options and the overall poor state of older patients make their cure less likely.