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Optimal Therapy for Adult Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in First Complete Remission

  • Leukemia (JP Dutcher, Section Editor)
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Opinion statement

Although it is absolutely clear that postremission therapy is currently necessary to obtain disease-free long-term survivorship for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in first complete remission (CR), it is not entirely clear what form that treatment should take. High-dose cytarabine is clearly effective and there definitely is a dose-response relationship for cytarabine and remission duration. High-dose cytarabine is effective for younger patients but not elderly patients. It is effective for patients with favorable cytogenetics but it is not clear whether it is effective for patients with intermediate or unfavorable cytogenetics. Furthermore, it is not clear what the most effective and least toxic dose and schedule of high-dose cytarabine is.

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References and Recommended Reading

Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

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Peter H. Wiernik declares that he has no conflict of interest.

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  1. Cancer Research Foundation of New York, 43 Longview Lane, Chappaqua, NY, 10514, USA

    Peter H. Wiernik MD

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Wiernik, P.H. Optimal Therapy for Adult Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in First Complete Remission. Curr. Treat. Options in Oncol. 15, 171–186 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11864-014-0281-9

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