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.