San Francisco – Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is largely a disease of the elderly since it is uncommon before the age of 45. It generally has a much poorer prognosis compared to other leukemias such as CML and even ALL.

There are two main treatment options – high chemotherapy (ara-C is the main bedrock) or a stem cell transplant in those patients who are considered eligible. With the average age at diagnosis being ~66yo, many patients may be elderly and frail, making a SCT not a viable option.

Ara-C (cytarabine) has been around for many years and despite numerous clinical trials, it has yet to be displaced. There’s plenty of room for improvement though, and a high unmet medical need still exists. The good news is that despite the challenge of finding a highly effective yet well tolerated therapy, there’s a lot of R&D activity in this space.

In this preview of the data to be presented at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting in San Francisco, I highlight my top 10 AML abstracts that are worth checking out.

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