Age does not adversely influence outcomes among patients older than 60 years who undergo allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant for AML and myelodysplastic syndrome

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (AHSCT) outcomes data of older AML/myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients are limited. We retrospectively evaluated consecutive patients ⩾60 years old with AML/MDS who underwent AHSCT between January 2005 and December 2014. The primary objectives were to determine nonrelapse mortality (NRM), relapse, relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) at 1 year post AHSCT. A total of 159 patients underwent AHSCT with a median age of 64 (range, 60–75) years. Of these, 103 patients (65%) had AML and 56 patients (35%) had MDS. At 1 year post AHSCT, grade III–IV acute GvHD and chronic GvHD occurred in 20.8% (95% confidence interval (CI), 14.9–27.5%) and 54.1% (95% CI, 46.0–61.5%) of patients, respectively. NRM, RFS, relapse rate and OS at 1 year post AHSCT were 25.3% (95% CI, 18.8–32.3%), 53.3% (95% CI, 46.1–61.7%), 21.4% (95% CI, 15.4–28.1%) and 56.4% (95% CI, 49.2–54.7%), respectively. High disease risk index was associated with poor RFS, OS and higher relapse rate (P<0.03), whereas non-thymoglobulin-based GvHD prophylaxis, higher comorbidity index (⩾3) and MDS were associated with higher NRM (P<0.03). Importantly, age did not have an adverse effect on NRM, relapse, RFS and OS. AHSCT was well tolerated. Hence, older age alone should not be considered a contraindication to AHSCT.