Understanding how to make leukemia more remission in older patients remains a major challenge in cancer treatment. While achieving complete remission with initial treatment is a major milestone, the disease usually recovers within a few months, so better ways to maintain remission must be found. Now, a new study provides key insights on ongoing treatment of azotin that can help prolong remission cycles in older patients with acute myeloid leukemia, a blood cancer that affects bone marrow and blood cells.
Dr. Esther Natalie Oliva of Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Bianchi Melacrino Morelli from Italy conducted in-depth research with scientists from institutions from Europe and Japan to take the effect on Aziacidine as a follow-up treatment. Their work, published in the International Journal of Molecular Science, analyzes the body’s response to azaxitin at the cellular level. Using advanced genetic sequencing, a technique used to analyze cellular DNA to identify gene mutations or changes, the team examined changes in leukemia-related genes before and after treatment to better understand how azabutamine can help prevent relapse.
Dr. Oliva and her team’s research has observed elderly patients with leukemia who have achieved remission after intensive chemotherapy, a treatment that uses powerful drugs to kill cancer cells or stop them from growing. These people were then assigned to receive subcutaneous azacitidine or support medical services without additional treatment. The results showed that patients receiving azaxitin maintained nearly twice the rate of those who did not. Even after several years, this benefit remains, enhancing Azasidin’s potential in helping patients with disease-free status.
One of the most notable findings is that specific genetic characteristics, such as mutations in the Finca gene, are associated with a higher risk of recurrence. The study found that patients with these genetic changes were more likely to see their leukemia recovery. “Our findings help clarify how genetic changes after remission affect the likelihood of relapse and highlight why some patients may need additional treatment strategies,” Dr. Oliva explained. This insight can pave the way for a more tailored treatment plan based on the patient’s genetic characteristics, a unique genetic characteristic that can influence a person’s response to treatment.
The researchers also stressed that while subcutaneous Azacitidine showed hope in extended mitigation, it has not yet been associated with overall survival benefits. In contrast, oral azotin proved an improved overall survival rate, which is why oral azotin was identified as commercialized, while subcutaneous Azacitidine did not.
Importantly, they report that subcutaneous azotidin is usually well tolerated, with the most common side effect being low leukocyte counts, a measure of immune system health that may affect the body’s ability to fight infections. No patient died before relapse, suggesting that azotin is a safe choice for older people who have received intensive treatment. These findings support previous studies that azobutylamide provides a safer alternative to more aggressive chemotherapy for older patients.
Going forward, the team plans to further explore how other genetic factors affect the recurrence of acute myeloid leukemia. Using high-tech genetic screening is a test used to identify gene mutations that may affect disease risk or treatment response to monitor patients, which can provide valuable insights in predicting treatment responses and determine which patients will benefit the most from azacitidine treatment. “These results suggest that understanding genetic factors can help improve treatment plans after remission, thus providing new hope for elderly patients with leukemia,” Dr. Oliva noted.
The research by Dr. Oliva and colleagues marks an important step forward in acute myeloid leukemia, highlighting the potential of azacitidine as a valuable follow-up therapy for elderly patients. By combining genetic analysis with clinical data, scientists continue to advance leukemia treatments toward a more personalized approach, a way to tailor medical treatment to a specific characteristic of an individual, including genetics and overall health.
Journal Reference
Oliva, En, Cuzzola, M., Porta, MD, Candoni, A., Salutari, P., Palumbo, Ga, Ga, Reda, G., Iannì, G., Zampini, M., D’Amico, S. wait. “Research on Translational Azotidin for Acute Myeloid Leukemia in Elderly Patients (QOL-ONE TRANS-2).” International Journal of Molecular Science, 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252111646
About the Author
Esther Natalie Oliva In 1990, she received her degree in medicine and surgery in 1990 and a degree in general hematology from the University of Messina, Italy in 1994, and from 1991 to 1997, she received the Mario Negri Institute Research Grant for the Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Bianchi Melactina Melactina MoreellaCino Morelli, Reggio Calabria, Italy, Italale, Reggio Calabria, Italy.
She has been a practice hematology in the same hospital hematology unit in Reggio Calabria since 1998, responsible for the myelodysplastic syndrome, sexual anemia, anemia and benign hematology. Since 2018, she has a national scientific qualification as associate professor of blood diseases, oncology and rheumatology. She is junior editor of the American Journal of Blood Research, associate editor of Hemasphere and of the Hematological Malignancies specialty section of Frontiers in Oncology, guest editör of Journal of Clinical Medicine specialty section “Myelodysplastic Syndrome: Recent Advances and Future Directions”, of Cancers, specialty section “Chemotherapy for Hematologic Malignancies and special issue “Symptom Burden in Cancer: Assessment and Management”.
Dr. Oliva has developed a specific tool for assessing the quality of life of myelodysplastic syndrome (QOL-E) and has developed an instrument for measuring the reported results in patients with hematological malignancy (HM-PRO).
She also developed and coordinated clinical trials in pharmacological research and quality of life. She is a founding member and has been vice president of Qol-One Associazione Qol-One, the nonprofit scientific research association since 2019.
She has been an inspector of the European Hematology Association (EHA) European Hematology Passport since 2017. She is the co-chair of the EHA Scientific Working Group’s Quality of Life and Symptoms and is a member of the EHA Professional Working Group Committee. She is a regional representative of the Italian Society of Experimental Hematology (SIES) (Calabria-Ricata, Brazil), and she is an active member of the American Society of Hematology and the Italian Society of Hematology.
