Stefan Faderl

Results of intensive chemotherapy in 998 patients age 65 years or older with acute myeloid leukemia or high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome: predictive prognostic models for outcome.

Elderly patients (age ≥ 65 years) with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) generally have a poor prognosis. AML‐type therapy results are often derived from studies in younger patients and may not apply to elderly AML. Many investigators and oncologists advocate, at times, only supportive care or frontline single agents, Phase I–II studies, low‐intensity regimens, or ‘targeted’ therapies. However, baseline expectations for outcomes of elderly AML with ‘standard’ AML‐type therapy are not well defined. The aim was to develop prognostic models for complete response (CR), induction (8‐week) mortality, and survival rates in elderly AML, which would be used to advise oncologists and patients of expectations with standard AML type therapy, and to establish baseline therapy results against which novel strategies would be evaluated.

The biology and therapy of adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Much progress has been made in understanding the biology of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). This has translated into the recognition of several subgroups of ALL and the institution of risk‐adapted therapies. New therapies are emerging based on the definition of specific cytogenetic‐molecular abnormalities.

Hyperfractionated cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, and dexamethasone and highly active antiretroviral therapy for patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-related burkitt lymphoma/leukemia

Patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)‐associated lymphoma/leukemia have a poor prognosis and are frequently treated with low‐intensity therapy. The authors investigated the feasibility and efficacy of hyperfractionated cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, and dexamethasone (hyper‐CVAD), a dose‐intensive chemotherapy regimen, in patients with AIDS‐associated Burkitt lymphoma/leukemia, as well as the possible impact of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in these patients.

Results of imatinib mesylate therapy in patients with refractory or recurrent acute myeloid leukemia, high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome, and myeloproliferative disorders.

Imatinib mesylate is a selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor of c‐abl, bcr/abl, c‐kit, and platelet‐derived growth factor‐receptor (PDGF‐R). c‐kit is expressed in most patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and PDGF has been implicated in the pathogenesis of myeloproliferative disorders (MPD).

The significance of myelosuppression during therapy with imatinib mesylate in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia in chronic phase

Imatinib mesylate induces high rates of hematologic and cytogenetic response in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). During therapy with imatinib, up to 45% of patients with CML reportedly experience myelosuppression ≥ Grade 3, requiring interruption of therapy and/or dose reductions. The significance of myelosuppression for response to imatinib is unknown.

Thalidomide therapy for myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia.

Thalidomide is a putative antiangiogenesis agent with activity in several hematologic malignancies.

Chronic myelogenous leukemia: A review and update of therapeutic strategies

DOI 10.1002/cncr.11520

Fractionated cyclophosphamide, vincristine, liposomal daunorubicin, and dexamethasone plus rituximab and granulocyte-macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) alternating with methotrexate and cytarabine plus rituximab and GM-CSF in patients with Richter syndrome or fludarabine-refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Therapy for patients with Richter syndrome (RS) or fludarabine‐refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is unsatisfactory. A Phase II study was conducted to evaluate an alternating combination cytotoxic regimen given with rituximab and granulocyte‐macrophage–colony stimulating factor (GM‐CSF) in these patients.

Effects of age on prognosis with imatinib mesylate therapy for patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myelogenous leukemia.

Older age is a consistent poor prognostic factor in patients with Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)‐positive chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Whether this is related to an intrinsic worse disease biology or to inadequate drug delivery or excessive treatment‐associated toxicity is unknown. The availability of imatinib mesylate, a selective, Bcr‐Abl‐targeted therapy that is administered orally with minimal side effects, may clarify whether older age would remain an adverse factor (thus, implying a different age‐related CML biology).

High-dose chemotherapy in high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome: Covariate-adjusted comparison of five regimens

Antileukemic chemotherapy has been used for two decades to treat high‐risk myelodysplastic syndrome (refractory anemia with excess of blasts [RAEB] and RAEB in transformation into acute leukemia [RAEB‐t]) patients. Because the results of standard regimens have been disappointing, high‐dose chemotherapeutic regimens were investigated recently. In the absence of randomized trials, the relative merits of various treatment regimens are unknown.