EHA 2022 | 10-day decitabine vs 3+7 chemotherapy followed by alloHSCT in older & fit patients with AML

Older and fit patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are currently treated with intensive chemotherapy and subsequent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT). However, patients who are unable to undergo induction chemotherapy and alloHSCT have poor outcomes. Hypomethylating agents (HMAs) have become the standard of care (SOC) for unfit patients with AML, suggesting they may be a better and milder treatment option prior to alloHSCT. In this video, Michael Lübbert, MD, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany, discusses the aims, design, and results of a Phase III study comparing a ten-day decitabine schedule vs standard intensive combination chemotherapy as a bridge to alloHSCT in elderly patients with AML (NCT02172872). Overall, the study showed that there was no significant difference in overall survival (OS) between the two treatment groups, with a four-year OS of 26% in the decitabine arm and 30% in the intensive chemotherapy arm. Moreover, treatment with decitabine was associated with fewer toxicities and fewer hospitalizations, suggesting decitabine as a better treatment option for older and fit patients with AML. This press briefing was recorded at the European Hematology Association (EHA) Congress 2022 held in Vienna, Austria.