Designed and created by Guideline Central in participation with the American Society of Hematology
Treating Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia in Older Adults
Patient Guideline Summary
Publication Date: August 6, 2020
Last Updated: March 3, 2023
Objective
Objective
This patient summary means to discuss key recommendations from the American Society of Hematology (ASH) for treating newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia in older adults. It is limited to adults 18 years of age and older and should not be used as a reference for children.
Overview
Overview
- Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a rare cancer of the blood that afflicts mostly the elderly. In patients aged 65-74 years, it means, on average, dying a decade too soon.
- Note: symptoms include fever, bone pain, fatigue, shortness of breath, pale skin, frequent infections, easy bruising, and unusual bleeding.
- This patient summary focuses on the risks and benefits of treating older adults with AML.
Treatment
Treatment
- For AML there are several options available:
- Chemotherapy
- Targeted therapy
- Radiation
- Stem cell transplant, sometimes preceded by radiation
- Transfusion of blood or blood products
- These options can be used singly, in combination, or sequentially.
- Each option has significant side effects, so they are divided into “intensive,” “not intensive” and supportive/palliative.
- ASH urges treatment decisions to place a priority on quality-of-life issues when choosing a treatment plan and to individualize each plan according to the patient’s unique situation, needs, and desires.
Abbreviations
- AML: Acute Myeloid Leukemia
- ASH: American Society Of Hematology
Source Citation
Mikkael A. Sekeres, Gordon Guyatt, Gregory Abel, Shabbir Alibhai, Jessica K. Altman, Rena Buckstein, Hannah Choe, Pinkal Desai, Harry Erba, Christopher S. Hourigan, Thomas W. LeBlanc, Mark Litzow, Janet MacEachern, Laura C. Michaelis, Sudipto Mukherjee, Kristen O’Dwyer, Ashley Rosko, Richard Stone, Arnav Agarwal, L. E. Colunga-Lozano, Yaping Chang, QiuKui Hao, Romina Brignardello-Petersen; American Society of Hematology 2020 guidelines for treating newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia in older adults. Blood Adv. 2020; 4 (15): 3528–3549. doi: https://doi.org/10.1182/bloodadvances.2020001920
Disclaimer
The information in this patient summary should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.