BACKGROUND : Clinical and biologic characteristics of elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have not been well defined yet and there is no consensus on the appropriate treatment approach. We analyzed the outcome of these patients in terms of complete remission (CR) and the long-term life expectancy.
METHODS :
Twenty patients received mitoxantrone at the dose range of 4~8 mg/m2/ day for 3 days according to the patients´ condition based on age and performance status, low-dose cytosine arabinoside 10mg/m2 subcutaneously at every 12 hours for 10~14 days, and etoposide 100mg/day per os for 10~14 days. Most of patients achieving CR received at least 1~3 more courses of post-remission therapy with same initial regimen. Nine out of 17 patients receiving more than two courses of post-remission chemotherapy received their cryopreserved peripheral bloods stem cells after the second or third consolidation chemotherapy.
RESULTS : Overall, CR was achieved in 16 (80%) out of 20 patients and the median CR duration was 6 months (range 2~17 months). The most frequent complication during the induction chemotherapy was pneumonia (55%).
CONCLUSION :
The induction chemotherapy regimen including mitoxantrone, cytosine arabinoside, and etoposide seems to be promising in elderly AML patients in terms of CR rate, while its duration was short. Hopefully, it is necessary to develop a new post-remission therapy to maintain long-term disease-free survival in elderly AML patients.

Keywords: Elderly acute myeloid leukemia, Induction chemotherapy, Complete remission