Therapeutic approach to acute myeloid leukemia

The treatment of acute myeloid leukemia has evolved considerably over the past decade. While induction therapy appears to have been almost standardized, there continues to be an ongoing debate and controversy regarding the best form of post-remission therapy. Attempts are being made to identify patients at particular risk of relapse to enable appropriate selection of best induction and post-remission therapies. In these respects, cytogenetics are useful. New concepts include the use of growth factors, immunotherapy, MDR modulation and therapies evolving from a better knowledge of the anomalies of the genes that cause leukemia.