Reduced intensity allogeneic hematopoietic transplantation is an established standard of care for treatment of older patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

Allogeneic hematopoietic transplantation, an effective treatment for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), was originally developed as a means of delivering high-dose myeloablative chemotherapy or radiation. The transplant itself allowed stem cells to restore normal hematopoiesis and immunity. Yet older people were denied this treatment because the myeloablative therapy has considerable toxicity. More recently, reduced-intensity conditioning has been used, allowing older or medically infirm patients to receive a transplant. This review explores the feasibility of transplant as a standard of care for older patients.