Korean J Med.  2006 Feb;70(2):196-206.

Acute myelogenous leukemia in the elderly (>or=60): retrospective study of 115 patients

• Shin HC
• Na II
• Yun T
• Lee KW
• Song EG
• Choi IS
• Oh DY
• Kim JH
• Lee JS
• Yoon SS
• Park S
• Kim BK
• Kim NK

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is frequently encountered in elderly patients whereas intensive chemotherapy yield lower rate of complete remission (CR) and survival than young patients. This study was aimed to review the clinical features and treatment outcomes of elderly patients (>or=60) with AML.
METHODS
We respectively reviewed the clinical features, laboratory findings and outcomes of treatment from the medical records of 115 patients with the elderly AML (>or=60), admitted in Seoul National University Hospital, between Jan.1995 and Dec.2004.
RESULTS
Their median age was 66 (60~86) years with male predominance (M:F=68:47). Complete response rate in patients with conventional chemotherapy was 66.7% (42 of 63 patients; 95% CI 50.2~78.4). Median overall survival (OS) was 5.2 months with clinical benefit in the conventional chemotherapy group, compared to supportive or palliative group (11.5 vs 0.9months; p<0.0001). In between two age groups, the sixties (n=69) showed higher CR rate (69.0 vs 61.9%; p=0.9) and longer median overall survival (7.0 vs 4.4months; p=0.8) than patients group of the seventies (n=38) but without statistical significance.
CONCLUSIONS
Conventional induction chemotherapy improved survival rate than palliative or supportive treatment.

Keyword

Acute myelogenous leukemia; Elderly; Prognosis

MeSH Terms

Aged*
Drug Therapy
Humans
Induction Chemotherapy
Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute*
Male
Medical Records
Prognosis
Retrospective Studies*
Seoul
Survival Rate