Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Acute Myeloid Leukemia of the Elderly: Review of Literature and New Perspectives

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in patients over the age of 60 carries a poor prognosis, mainly due to unsatisfactory control of leukemia with chemotherapy alone. Allogeneic hemopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) would provide significant anti-leukemic effect but is associated with morbidity and mortality, especially in older patients with comorbidities. Reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) and non-myeloablative (NMA) conditioning regimens have been designed and have led to improved outcomes in this older patient population. New targeted agents, such as Flt3 inhibitors, are currently being used to improve the control of AML further and may be incorporated in a transplant approach. The increasing knowledge of AML in the elderly is currently being associated with a multidimensional approach to identify eligibility and design tailored transplant platforms.