Defining therapeutic strategies in elderly acute myeloid leukemia

The prognosis of elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains poor despite recent therapeutic advances. At the 20th Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA), Charles Craddock, FRCPath, FRCP, DPhil, BMBCh, of the University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK, evaluates the current management options available for this patient population. Increasingly, biological age, rather than chronological age, is being used to help define treatment options for patients, which can include allogeneic stem-cell transplantation, hypomethylating agents and investigational drugs.