Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Year in Review
  • Published:

Acute myeloid leukaemia in 2012

En route to improved treatment options

Progress was made in major aspects of acute myeloid leukaemia in 2012. Gemtuzumab ozogamicin and decitabine were shown to improve outcomes, relapse after stem-cell transplantation might be prevented by selecting donors according to their KIR genotypes, and next-generation sequencing has provided insights into mutational patterns and disease evolution.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Castaigne, S. et al. Effect of gemtuzumab ozogamicin on survival of adult patients with de-novo acute myeloid leukaemia (ALFA-0701): a randomised, open-label, phase 3 study. Lancet 379, 1508–1516 (2012).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Burnett, A. K. et al. Addition of gemtuzumab ozogamicin to induction chemotherapy improves survival in older patients with acute myeloid leukemia. J. Clin. Oncol. 30, 3924–3931 (2012).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Burnett, A. K. et al. Identification of patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia who benefit from the addition of gemtuzumab ozogamicin: results of the MRC AML15 trial. J. Clin. Oncol. 29, 369–377 (2011).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Petersdorf, S. et al. Preliminary results of Southwest Oncology Group Study S0106: an international intergroup phase 3 randomized trial comparing the addition of gemtuzumab ozogamicin to standard induction therapy versus standard induction therapy followed by a second randomization to post-consolidation gemtuzumab ozogamicin versus no additional therapy for previously untreated acute myeloid leukemia [abstract]. Blood 114, a790 (2009).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Sievers, E. L. et al. Efficacy and safety of gemtuzumab ozogamicin in patients with CD33-positive acute myeloid leukemia in first relapse. J. Clin. Oncol. 19, 3244–3254 (2001).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Kantarjian, H. M. et al. Multicenter, randomized, open-label, phase III trial of decitabine versus patient choice, with physician advice, of either supportive care or low-dose cytarabine for the treatment of older patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia. J. Clin. Oncol. 30, 2670–2677 (2012).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Lübbert, M. et al. A multicenter phase II trial of decitabine as first-line treatment for older patients with acute myeloid leukemia judged unfit for induction chemotherapy. Haematologica 97, 393–401 (2012).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Miller, J. S. & Blazar, B. R. Control of acute myeloid leukemia relapse-dance between KIRs and HLA. N. Engl. J. Med. 367, 866–868 (2012).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Venstrom, J. M. et al. HLA-C-dependent prevention of leukemia relapse by donor activating KIR2DS1. N. Engl. J. Med. 367, 805–816 (2012).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Welch, J. S. et al. The origin and evolution of mutations in acute myeloid leukemia. Cell 150, 264–278 (2012).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank Steven Devine, MD, at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, for helpful comments and the Coleman Leukemia Research Foundation for financial support.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Clara D. Bloomfield.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Becker, H., Bloomfield, C. En route to improved treatment options. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 10, 76–79 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrclinonc.2012.239

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrclinonc.2012.239

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing