Hope for leukemia patients

Azacitidine can significantly prolong life for people with marrow disorders, often leading to acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

This is a finding by researchers at the University of Paris, published in the British medical journal "The Lancet" on February 18.

In the clinical study, the group tested azacitidine in 358 patients at high risk of developing AML. Half of these people received azacitidine 7 days a month for 6 months. The rest are treated with conventional methods such as using painkillers and chemotherapy.

Results showed that patients who took azacitidine lived longer than 9 months compared to patients treated with conventional methods.

Researchers say azacitidine clearly works only after three months of treatment, and that life expectancy can be doubled if the patient is given the drug within two years.

It also works to slow down the onset of illness by 6 months and increases the chance of not developing AML completely or partially.

However, azacitidine also causes side effects like other AML treatments. The incidence of severe blood-related incidents in patients receiving azacitidine was slightly higher than those indicated for painkillers, but lower in patients receiving chemotherapy. ./.