The preleukemic syndrome occurs mainly after middle age. We report 11 patients, aged 62 to 92 years, who presented with weakness, fatigue, malaise and pallor. Eight patients died; survival from the time of diagnosis was between 2 and 21 months. Two of them developed acute myelomonocytic leukemia.

• Preleukemia usually develops in elderly individuals. The risk increases as a person grows older. There are certain predisposing factors for occurrence of this disease. There is increased number of patients who had previously been treated with chemotherapy for other types of malignancies are susceptible to this condition.

How long can an elderly person live with leukemia?

A few population-based studies have reported 3-year survival rates of only 9-10% and 5-year survival of 3-8% in patients aged 60 years and older, compared with 5-year survival rates of up to 50% for younger patients.

How long can an elderly person live with leukemia without treatment?

There are risks with undergoing treatment, however, including infections and death. But those risks also exist without treatment: If a patient in his 70s declines treatment, life expectancy is three to four months , with a risk of infections and other complications. Life expectancy with treatment is longer.

How long can you live with myelodysplastic syndrome?

With current treatments, patients with lower-risk types of some MDS can live for 5 years or even longer. Patients with higher-risk MDS that becomes acute myeloid leukemia ( AML ) are likely to have a shorter life span. About 30 out of 100 MDS patients will develop AML .

What type of leukemia is most common in elderly?

Acute myeloid leukemia is also called acute myelocytic leukemia , acute myelogenous leukemia , acute granulocytic leukemia , acute non-lymphocytic leukemia, or sometimes just AML . It is most common in older people.

What causes leukemia in the elderly?

Leukemia can develop due to a problem with blood cell production. It usually affects the leukocytes, or white blood cells. Leukemia is most likely to affect people over the age of 55 years, but it is also the most common cancer in those aged under 15 years.

What are symptoms of leukemia in older adults?

Common leukemia signs and symptoms include: Fever or chills. Persistent fatigue, weakness. Frequent or severe infections. Losing weight without trying. Swollen lymph nodes , enlarged liver or spleen. Easy bleeding or bruising. Recurrent nosebleeds. Tiny red spots in your skin (petechiae)

Should an 80 year old have chemo?

First, there is no reason to deny older people adequate cancer therapy — surgery, chemotherapy , radiation — based on age alone. Individualization is critical; one size does not fit all! While one 80 – year – old may tolerate a standard course of chemotherapy perfectly well, the next may not.

What is chronic leukemia in elderly?

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia ( CLL ) is a disease of elderly patients being diagnosed at a median age of 72 years. This translates into an increased incidence of new diagnoses above the age of 65 years up to a rate of 22–30/100,000 per year.

What are the final stages of leukemia?

Signs of approaching death Worsening weakness and exhaustion . A need to sleep much of the time, often spending most of the day in bed or resting. Weight loss and muscle thinning or loss. Minimal or no appetite and difficulty eating or swallowing fluids. Decreased ability to talk and concentrate.

How do MDS patients die?

Death from MDS is often caused by bleeding and/or infection from low blood cell counts or after the disease becomes acute myeloid leukemia (AML). About a third of patients with MDS develop AML. It is important to remember that statistics on MDS are an estimate.

How do you know when MDS is getting worse?

Symptoms of MDS For most people, symptoms are mild at first and slowly get worse . They can include: weakness, tiredness and occasional breathlessness (because of the low number of red blood cells) frequent infections (because of the low number of white blood cells)

How fast does MDS progress?

The pace of progression varies. In some individuals the condition worsens within a few months of diagnosis, while others have relatively little problem for several decades. In about 50 percent of cases, MDS deteriorates into a form of cancer known as acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Can the elderly get leukemia?

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a disease of the elderly , with the majority of patients diagnosed in their 6th and 7th decade of life. Older patients with AML are less likely to achieve complete remission after induction chemotherapy, and they suffer from higher rates of leukemia relapse compared to younger cohorts.

What type of leukemia usually occurs in adults over 70 years of age?

Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) is a type of cancer that affects the white blood cells and tends to progress slowly over many years . It can occur at any age , but is most common in older adults around 60-65 years of age .

Do elderly need aggressive therapy for leukemia?

Decisions regarding the optimal treatment of acute myelogenous leukemia in the elderly patient requires the consideration of multiple factors. Population-based studies have demonstrated that, for all age groups, aggressive therapy results in improved survival and quality of life when compared with palliative care.