Effectiveness of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation for older patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

Outcomes with conventional chemotherapy for older patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remain disappointing, with few cures. For younger patients with AML, allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) offers the best chance for cure, but this strategy is seldomly used for older patients. With recently improved methodologies, transplantation has become increasingly safe, suggesting that its use in older patients be reconsidered. This report will address four issues: the current frequency of transplantation for AML according to patient age; the impact of patient age on transplant outcomes; the comparative outcomes of transplantation versus chemotherapy for older patients with AML; and possible methods to improve the outcome of allogeneic HCT in older patients with AML.