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Treatment of Newly Diagnosed AML in Unfit Patients

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Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Part of the book series: Hematologic Malignancies ((HEMATOLOGIC))

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Abstract

The majority of patients over the age of 65 with acute myeloid leukemia are ineligible for intensive chemotherapy due to either comorbidities or adverse biological features. Low-intensity therapies using either low-dose cytarabine or hypomethylating agents (HMAs), such as azacitidine or decitabine, currently represent the standard frontline therapy for these patients. Here we describe how unfit patients can be identified. We review the results of clinical trials and real-world studies that have provided evidence of the efficacy and effectiveness of HMAs. We discuss HMAs’ specificity regarding biological and clinical effects, potential resistance mechanisms, and the attempts to improve their clinical activity via combination with other treatments.

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  1. Hematology Department, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Aix-Marseille Université, CRCM, Marseille, France

    Norbert Vey

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  2. Department of Haematology, Amsterdam University Medical Center location VUMC, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, The Netherlands

    Gert J. Ossenkoppele

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Vey, N. (2021). Treatment of Newly Diagnosed AML in Unfit Patients. In: Röllig, C., Ossenkoppele, G.J. (eds) Acute Myeloid Leukemia . Hematologic Malignancies. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-72676-8_10

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