The prognostic importance of polypharmacy in older adults treated for acute myelogenous leukemia (AML)

We retrospectively evaluated the prognostic significance of polypharmacy and inappropriate medication use among 150 patients >60 years of age receiving induction chemotherapy for acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). After adjustment for age and comorbidity, increased number of medications at diagnosis (≥4 versus ≤1) was associated with increased 30-day mortality (OR = 9.98, 95% CI = 1.18-84.13), lower odds of complete remission status (OR = 0.20, 95% CI = 0.06-0.65), and higher overall mortality (HR = 2.13, 95% CI = 1.15-3.92). Inappropriate medication use (classified according to Beers criteria) was not significantly associated with clinical outcomes. Polypharmacy warrants further study as a modifiable marker of vulnerability among older adults with AML.