Acute myeloid leukemia in elderly patients: New targets, new therapies

Prior to the past few years, the development of new therapies for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has been disappointingly slow. For several decades, the standard therapy for AML has consisted of intensive induction chemotherapy, and potentially a subsequent hematopoietic stem cell transplant. Unfortunately, older patients are less responsive to, and are frequently unfit to tolerate, such intensive chemotherapy. Given that a majority of AML patients are elderly, this population has been most affected by the lack of newer less toxic therapies. However, in recent years, the treatment landscape for AML has dramatically shifted with the approval of many new drugs. As summarized in this review, several of these new drugs are targeted agents that are better tolerated than standard chemotherapy and could substantially benefit elderly patients. Although drug resistance remains a major concern, the treatment options for elderly AML patients are more numerous than ever before, bringing new promise for improved patient outcomes.