Assessing eligibility for treatment in acute myeloid leukemia in 2023.

Introduction: Age has historically been considered the main criterion to determine eligibility for intensive chemotherapy in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), but age alone can no longer be considered an absolute indicator in determining which patients should be defined as unfit. Assessment of fitness for a given treatment today serves an important role in tailoring therapeutic options.

Areas Covered: This review examines the main options used in real life to define eligibility for intensive and nonintensive chemotherapy in patients with AML, with a main focus on the Italian SIE/SIES/GITMO Consensus Criteria.

Clinical and Prognostic Features of Essential Thrombocythemia: Comparison of 2001 WHO Versus 2008/2016 WHO Criteria in a Large Single-center Cohort.

Background: According to 2008/2016 classification of the World Health Organization (WHO), a platelet (PLT) count ≥ 450 × 10/L, reduced from the previously published WHO 2001 indicated level ≥ 600 × 10/L, was considered the new PLT threshold for the diagnosis of essential thrombocythemia (ET).

Patients And Methods: To validate this important diagnostic change in a setting of current clinical practice, we retrospectively analyzed clinical and hematologic features at diagnosis and during follow-up of 162 patients with ET, diagnosed in our center from January 2008 to December 2017. We subdivided patients according to PLT value at baseline into Group A (PLT ≥ 600 × 10/L) (124 patients; 76.

Balanced and unbalanced chromosomal translocations in myelodysplastic syndromes: clinical and prognostic significance.

Prognostic role of chromosomal translocations (CT) in myelodysplasia (MDS) was retrospectively analyzed in 77 patients from GROM-L registry. Forty (51.9%) balanced, 28 (36.

Pulmonary infections in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes receiving frontline azacytidine treatment.

Pulmonary infections (PIs) are a major complication of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). We retrospectively evaluated 234 MDS patients treated with azacytidine (AZA). The total number of AZA cycles was 2886 (median 8 cycles per patient).

Incidence of Clinically Significant (≤10 g/dL) Late Anemia in Elderly Patients with Newly Diagnosed Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Treated with Imatinib.

Background: In elderly patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) responsive to imatinib, the incidence of clinically significant (CS) late chronic anemia is still unknown.

Materials And Methods: To highlight this issue, we revised retrospectively 81 CML patients aged >60 years treated at our Institution with front-line imatinib for at least 24 months in durable complete cytogenetic response (CCyR). CS late chronic anemia was defined as the presence of persistent (>6 months) and otherwise unexplained Hb levels ≤10 g/dL, which occurred >6 months from imatinib start.

Balancing efficacy and toxicity of targeted agents currently used for the treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

In recent years, innovative mechanism-based drugs have enriched the therapeutic armamentarium for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and are widely used in the clinical practice. These small molecules targeting the B-cell receptor signaling pathway and the BCL-2 anti-apoptotic protein offer new chemo-free options to both unfit patients and high-risk patients who show a poor response to chemoimmunotherapy. Nonetheless, treatment with ibrutinib, idelalisib and venetoclax is associated with unique side effects.

Clinical results according to age in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia receiving imatinib frontline: The younger, the later, the worse?

Objectives: To evaluate differences in clinical results according to age among patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).

Methods: 207 consecutive CML patients treated with imatinib frontline were revised, dividing them in young adults (>20 < 45 years) (YA), middle-aged adults (≥45 < 65 years) (MA) and elderly (≥65 years) (EL).

Results: Cumulative incidence of complete cytogenetic response (CCyR) and major molecular response (MMolR) were significantly higher in MA compared with YA and EL (P < .

Can chronic myeloid leukaemia in children and adolescents be successfully treated without haematopoietic stem cell transplant? A single centre experience.

We analysed the long-term outcome of 35 children and adolescents (<20 years at diagnosis) with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) in chronic phase: 20 patients had received interferon-alpha and/or tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), and 15 underwent a haematopoietic stem cell transplant. The 10-year survival probabilities were similar in transplanted and non-transplanted patients (73·3% vs. 72·1%, respectively), whereas the survival probability was significantly lower in patients diagnosed before 1999 compared to those diagnosed afterwards (62·1% vs.