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Acute myeloid leukemia (AML): What can I expect?

Blood Cancers & Disorders | Last Active: Nov 12, 2023 | Replies (137)
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@pegsue23

Hello… my almost 84 year old mom was just diagnosed with AML IDH2 mutation. We are heartbroken with the research we’ve found so far. Has anyone had experience with the drug Enasidenib? She has neutropenia with also very low white & red blood cell counts. She is worried about the side effects of treatment and trying to process quality of life vs quantity. Any suggestions in dealing with this at this age?

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Replies to "Hello… my almost 84 year old mom was just diagnosed with AML IDH2 mutation. We are..."
Lori, Volunteer Mentor | @loribmt | Aug 21, 2023

Welcome to Connect @pegsue23. My heart goes out to you and your mom over her diagnosis with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. With or without the genetic mutation AML can be a tricky blood cancer to fight. I had AML with 3 mutations four years ago and it required months of chemo and ultimately a bone marrow transplant. I was 65 at the time and it was quite the adventure, to put it mildly.

As we age, we have less tolerance for aggressive treatments. At 84, your mom may be in the age group where strong chemotherapy is not advisable. Without treatment, sadly, this type of leukemia will continue to progress steadily and sometimes rapidly.

Enasidenib is a targeted therapy for patients with AML who have an IDH2 gene mutation. It helps to slow the progression by blocking several enzymes that promote cell growth of the cancer cells. It can, in some cases, help patients reach remission. Here is the FDA article on the drug:

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-new-targeted-treatment-relapsed-or-refractory-acute-myeloid-leukemia

While it may have some side effects such as nausea, it would be worth a try. I truly understand quality of life vs quantity. But if untreated, there would not be much time remaining. Your mom can give it a try and then stop if there are issues. It’s generally one capsule per day. With or without food. I’d suggest with food.
I had a targeted med similar to this which I took in the weeks between chemo rounds. Believe me, I had qualms too. But I actually had no side effects and the drug did its job, with one of the mutations I had, to keep it from replicating.

We have another member who is 83 and taking Enasidenib for another type of blood cancer. Maybe @deemcrae can share her experience with you and your mom.

How long ago was your mom diagnosed?

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