To transplant or not: a dilemma for treatment of elderly AML patients in the twenty-first century

AML treatment presents significant challenges in the elderly, who more often have poor risk cytogenetic and molecular markers, comorbidities and compromised performance status. Although population-based studies indicate that treated patients’ survival is better than those who are not treated, there is an understandable reluctance of physicians to choose aggressive therapy. Even in this older population 40–60% CR rates are achievable. Several scoring systems and web-based programs help to predict TRM and CR rates. These sources can assist physicians in the difficult decision-making process of aggressive therapy in an individual patient. Clofarabine and hypomethylating agents are reasonable options and can induce CR in patients who cannot receive standard induction with anthracyclines and cytarabine. Despite encouraging CR rates, median survival remains short (