Low-intensity therapy (LIT) + venetoclax vs LIT in octa-nonagenarians with newly diagnosed AML

A retrospective study evaluating the outcomes of 289 octa‐nonagenarians with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treated between 2013 and 2023 with low-intensity therapy (LIT) + venetoclax or LIT was published by Senapati et al. in Cancer. Octa‐nonagenarians represent a high-risk group with increased incidence of secondary AML and are ineligible for transplantation.

Key data: Composite complete remission (CRc) and median overall survival (OS) rates were higher in the LIT + venetoclax vs LIT groups (61.7% vs 32.4%; p < 0.001 and 7.7 months vs 5.4 months, respectively). Among the LIT + venetoclax group, the median OS was higher in the favorable- vs adverse-risk groups (10.0 vs 3.0 months). De novo AML, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) 0/1, and venetoclax therapy were associated with improved OS (p = 0.02, p = 0.01, and p = 0.05, respectively).

Key learning: The findings suggest that LIT + venetoclax vs LIT offers survival benefits for octa-nonagenarians with newly diagnosed AML, particularly in those with favorable genetic risk profiles.