Karakuş, VolkanMaral, SenemKaya, EgemenGemici, AliihsanDere, YeldaSevindik, Ömür Gökmen2022-10-312022-10-312022Karakuş, V., Maral, S., Kaya, E., Gemici, A., Dere, Y. ve Sevindik, Ö. G. (2022). Survival outcomes of hypomethylating agents maintenance therapy in new diagnosed AML patients: Real experience data. Northern Clinics of Istanbul, 9(4), 331-336. https://doi.org/10.14744/nci.2021.428002148-49022536-4553https://doi.org/10.14744/nci.2021.42800https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12511/9897OBJECTIVE: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a hematological malignancy that frequently affects elderly population. With introducing the hypomethylating agents (HMAs) in elderly AML treatment, survival rates and quality of life have improved. However, long-term management in elderly and frail patients is still a challenge. In the present study, we aimed to determine whether HMA maintenance therapy is required until disease progression in frail and elderly AML patients by examining with a real-life data.METHODS: In a multicenter study, we analyzed non-promyelocytic elderly AML patients who were treated with first-line azacitidine or decitabine monotherapy in two different groups, retrospectively. While patients were treated with HMA until progression in the maintenance group, 6+3 cycles of azacitidine or decitabine were administered as a standard care of elderly AML patients in the non-maintenance group. Survival outcomes were compared between the groups.RESULTS: HMA therapy was maintained until progression in 20 patients, and HMA therapy was terminated after 6+3 cycles in 21 patients. Patients received a median of 6 (1-14) HMA cycles during follow-up time. The median 7.5 months of overall survival were observed (2-17 months) in maintenance and 3 months (1-13 months) in non-maintenance groups (p=0.001).CONCLUSION: Despite long-term exposure to HMA may appear as a risk factor for complications and toxicities in elderly and frail AML patients, the maintenance of therapy until disease progression provides a significant survival advantage. Therefore, we suggest that HMA therapy should continue until disease progression regardless the sort of HMA.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessAcute Myeloid LeukemiaAzacitidineDecitabineHypomethylating AgentsArticle9433133610.14744/nci.2021.42800N/A0008645266000072-s2.0-85164768023113007636276561N/A