Improving Care Delivery for Transplant-Ineligible Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) develops in the bone marrow and quickly spreads into the blood and throughout the body. Although AML is considered rare (accounting for 1% of all cancer disease), approximately 20,380 new cases are diagnosed annually. Acute myeloid leukemia is the most common type of leukemia, and it is also the most fatal type. The five-year survival rate is 29% which equates to about 11,310 deaths each year. 

The preferred treatment for many adult patients with acute myeloid leukemia is induction therapy followed by hematopoietic cell transplant. While most patients will see complete remission following chemotherapy, many patients are unable to receive an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation which prolongs post-remission survival. There are various factors that impact eligibility for transplant including age, financial hardship, access to language services, insufficient social support, lack of health insurance, among many others.

In addition, care coordination for patients in community care settings plays a major role in the availability of treatment options and ultimately, patient outcomes. For patients diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, particularly those who are ineligible for transplant, care coordination can impact access to specialist care, clinical trials, and cancer programs with advanced capabilities to treat patients.

How ACCC is Helping  

The Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC), in partnership with HealthTree Foundation for Acute Myeloid Leukemia, has launched an education program, Achieving and Maintaining Better Outcomes for Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. This program explores current barriers in care coordination and therapy options for patients who are ineligible for transplant, and highlights strategies and best practice guidelines to improve outcomes for patients with AML. 

To better support an informed oncology community, ACCC has curated a series of video podcasts that provide timely information on treatment options for post-induction patients with acute myeloid leukemia, the role of continuation therapy for transplant-ineligible patients, proactive management of treatment-related adverse events, and strategies to improve treatment adherence by addressing disparities such as financial, socioeconomic, or provider shortages. 

In the first video podcast of a 4-part series, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Keri Maher, DO, director of the Acute Leukemia Program and assistant professor at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Massey Cancer Center, about strategies to address disparities and optimize care and treatment options for patients with acute myeloid leukemia who do not receive a transplant. Listen in! Strategies to Addressing Disparities in Patients with AML – [VIDEO PODCAST] Ep 35 

In the second video podcast of the series, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Melissa Kah Poh Loh, MBBCh, BAO, assistant professor of Geriatric Hematology and Oncology at the University of Rochester Medical Center’s Wilmot Cancer Institute about strategies to optimize critical conversations with patients with acute myeloid leukemia. Listen in! Critical Conversation Strategies for Patients with AML – [VIDEO PODCAST] Ep 37 

In the third video podcast, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Geoffrey Uy, MD, professor of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Leukemia at Washington University in St. Louis and Khoan Tuong Vu, MD, hematologist/oncologist at Texas Oncology, who share strategies and best practices for co-managing care for patients with acute myeloid leukemia. Listen in! AML Care Coordination in the Community Setting – [VIDEO PODCAST] Ep 39 

Stay tuned for more on our fourth and final video podcast in the series by checking back on our website. You can also find these and other CANCER BUZZ podcasts/video podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This program is supported by Bristol Myers-Squibb.