Hagop Kantarjian, MD, professor and chair in the Department of Leukemia at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, sat down with Charles Craddock, CBE, FRCP (UK), FRCPath, DPhil, FMedSci, a professor of hemato-oncology at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom, at the Twelfth Annual Meeting of the Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO 2024) meeting to discuss the evolution of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treatment and future directions in the field.
The pair discussed progress made over the last 50 years, from the introduction of intensive chemotherapy to recent advances in targeted therapies such as venetoclax and FLT3 inhibitors.
He also highlighted the importance of allogeneic stem cell transplantation as a curative option, stressing its powerful antileukemic effect, especially when combined with newer maintenance strategies. The discussion also touched on the promise of using triplet therapy and novel inhibitors to improve outcomes for both older and younger patients.
Calling for a more integrated approach to AML treatment, Dr. Craddock said, “I would be really issuing a rallying cry to the transplant community, as we have to learn from our colleagues in the leukemia units who deliver such important randomized studies so effectively and do the same in transplant… to understand how we integrate transplant with upfront intensive therapy.”
Leave feedback about this