Studies on Hematological diseases in Elderly

Part 3: Chemotherapeutic Effect on Acute Nonlymphocytic Leukemia in Elderly Patients

Abstract

The effect of chemotherapy on acute nonlymphocytic leukemia 60 years of age and older are evaluated in comparison to that under 60 years of age. The complete remission was obtained in 24 of 35 patients (68.5%) under 60 years of age and in 7 of 13 patients (53.8%) 60 years of age and older. In 6 patients 70 years of age and older, only 2 patients (33.3%) achieved the remission. The median of remission duration and survival time were 10.9 and 17.1 months in patients under 60 years of age. On the other hand, they were 6.3 and 10.9 months in patients 60 years of age and older. Pneumonia, sepsis and gastrointestinal bleeding were highly complicated in elderly patients. The effect of reinduction chemotherapy was also found to be poor.
These results indicate that elderly patients respond to initial chemotherapy in mostly similar manner to younger patients with this disease. However, induction chemotherapy in patients 70 years of age and older, maintanance therapy and reinduction chemotherapy should be further studied.