According to researchers from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, elderly (aged 70 or older) patients with acute myeloid leukemia do not benefit from intensive combination chemotherapy regimens.
Previous studies had indicated that these patients did see some benefit from cytarabine-based intensive chemotherapy, but this research—a retrospective analysis of 446 patients between 1990 and 2008—clearly indicates the contrary.
These patients already have a very poor prognosis; the addition of chemotherapy shows that they still have a median survival time of less than 6 months.
CANCER TYPE(S)
Acute myeloid leukemia
TREATMENT TYPE(S)
Intensive cytarabine-based combination chemotherapy
WHERE WAS THIS RESEARCH PUBLISHED?
Blood, the journal of the American Society of Hematology
By Ross Bonander
Source
Kantarjian H et al. "Intensive chemotherapy does not benefit most older patients (age 70 years or older) with acute myeloid leukemia." Blood. Prepublished online July 28, 2010; DOI 10.1182/blood-2010-03-276485
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