New Therapies for Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a type of cancer in which the bone marrow produces abnormal myeloblasts, red blood cells, or platelets. AML was incurable 50 years ago, however, with advanced therapeutic options, it can be treated with favorable outcomes in 35-40% of the patients who are 60 years of age or younger. AML is the most common leukemia in adults, with an incidence of 3 to 8 cases per 100,000 adults per year. The median survival rate after 5 years in younger patients, those aged 18-60 years, is approximately 40%. The rate of survival decreases to 10% in patients above 60 years of age. Until recently, patients have typically been treated with similar chemotherapeutic regimens, however, the treatment options for AML have expanded due to discovery of genetic abnormalities. This presentation will review the background for AML, typical presentation, including objective and subjective findings, diagnosis, and prognosis of AML. The presentation will review the new therapies available for AML and review the literature supporting these therapies.
Target Audience
- Pharmacists
- Pharmacy technicians
Learning Objectives
Pharmacist learning objectives
- Describe the clinical presentation and diagnosis of patients with acute myeloid leukemia
- Discuss the new targeted therapies for AML
- Utilize pharmacy literature to support the use and place in therapy for pharmacotherapy options for the treatment of AML
Pharmacy technician learning objectives
- Define acute leukemia
- Identify the brand and generic names of pharmacological treatments for AML
- Identify the safety precautions necessary for handling the pharmacologic agents used to treat AML
Additional Information
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Available Credit
- 1.00 ACPE Pharmacist
- 1.00 ACPE Pharmacy Technician
- 1.00 General CEU – Attendance