＜Editors’ Choice＞ How to improve outcomes of elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia: era of excitement

Among elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), especially those who are unfit for intensive chemotherapy, a policy of reduced-intensity chemotherapy or conservative observation has been chosen, resulting in unmet medical needs. Clinical trials using anticancer drugs including antimetabolites or drugs targeted to cell cycle-related molecules failed to show superiority over conventional treatments. Recently, drugs targeted to Bcl-2, SMO, FLT3, and IDH1/2 have been shown to prolong overall survival alone or in combination with reduced-intensity chemotherapy. These treatments are likely to reshape the therapeutic landscape of AML, which will be personalized for individual patients based on leukemia genetics.