Validation of the fitness criteria for the treatment of older patients with acute myeloid leukemia: A multicenter study on a series of 699 patients by the Network Rete Ematologica Lombarda (REL)

Objectives: Treatment of older patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is still controversial. To facilitate treatment decisions, the fitness criteria proposed by Ferrara et al. (Leukemia, 2013), including age > 75 years, performance status and comorbidities, were verified retrospectively in 699 patients with AML (419 de-novo, 280 secondary AML), diagnosed at 8 Hematological Centers (REL). Methods: Patients were categorized in FIT to intensive chemotherapy (i-T) (292, 42.5%), UNFIT to i-T (289, 42.1%), or unfit even to non-intensive therapy (non i-T) (FRAIL) (105, 15.3%). Biological characteristics and treatment actually received by patients [i-T, 274 patients (39.2%); non i-T, 134 (19.2%), best-supportive care (BSC), 291 (41.6%)] were recorded. Results: Fitness criteria were easily applicable in 98.1% of patients. Overall concordance between fitness criteria and treatment actually received by patients was high (79.4%), 76% in FIT, 82.7% in UNFIT and 80% in FRAIL patients. Fitness independently predicted survival (median survival: 10.9, 4.2 and 1.8 months in FIT, UNFIT and FRAIL patients, respectively; p = 0.000), as confirmed also by multivariate analysis. In FRAIL patients, survival with any treatment was no better than with BSC, in UNFIT non i-T was as effective as i-T and better than BSC, and in FIT patients i-T was better than non i-T or BSC. In addition, a non-adverse risk AML, an ECOG PS <2, and receiving any treatment other than BSC had a favorable effect on survival (p < 0.001). Conclusion: These simple fitness criteria applied at the time of diagnosis could facilitate, together with AML biologic risk evaluation, the choice of the most appropriate treatment intensity in older AML patients. (c) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study validated the application of fitness criteria in treatment decisions for older patients with acute myeloid leukemia, showing high concordance between fitness criteria and actual treatment received, as well as an independent predictive role of fitness on survival. Different treatment strategies had significant effects on patient survival in different fitness categories.