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Molecular Targets for Therapy

The prognostic relevance of flt3 and npm1 mutations on older patients treated intensively or non-intensively: a study of 1312 patients in the UK NCRI AML16 trial

Abstract

Although the prognostic impact of mutations of FLT3 and NPM1 have been extensively studied in younger patients with acute myeloid leukaemia, less is known in older patients whether treated intensively or non-intensively, or in the context of existing prognostic scores. In 1312 patients 16 and 21%, respectively had an FLT3 and NPM1 mutation. An FLT3 mutation did not affect remission rate in intensively or non-intensively treated patients but was associated with an inferior survival. All patients with an NPM1c mutation had a significantly higher remission rate irrespective of treatment approach but survival was not improved, overall, or in any genotype except as in younger patients, in the FLT3 WT NPM1c mutant subgroup. When incorporated into an established multi-parameter prognostic risk score, the molecular information provided additional prognostic definition in 11% of patients.

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Acknowledgements

Research in the Cardiff Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre is supported by Cancer Research UK.

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Correspondence to A K Burnett.

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Lazenby, M., Gilkes, A., Marrin, C. et al. The prognostic relevance of flt3 and npm1 mutations on older patients treated intensively or non-intensively: a study of 1312 patients in the UK NCRI AML16 trial. Leukemia 28, 1953–1959 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/leu.2014.90

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