Age and acute myeloid leukemia

We conducted a retrospective analysis of 968 adults with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) on 5 recent Southwest Oncology Group trials to understand how the nature of AML changes with age. Older study patients with AML presented with poorer performance status, lower white blood cell counts, and a lower percentage of marrow blasts. Multidrug resistance was found in 33% of AMLs in patients younger than age 56 compared with 57% in patients older than 75. The percentage of patients with favorable cytogenetics dropped from 17% in those younger than age 56 to 4% in those older than 75. In contrast, the proportion of patients with unfavorable cytogenetics increased from 35% in those younger than age 56 to 51% in patients…

• UD
  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

  Awards: CA20319, CA38926, CA46368, CA46282, CA32102
• NC
  National Cancer Institute

  Awards: CA46368, CA20319, CA46282, CA38926, CA32102