Acute Myeloid Leukemia questions about treatment & survival

Welcome to Connect, @rob21974 Congratulations to your family member for having reached remission with AML…twice! That’s an encouragement achievement. However AML can be a bit of a challenge to stay in remission. The simplified version: some of the mutations which drive AML can actually cause the cancer cells to elude chemo, basically going dormant through treatment only to reemerge (relapse) when the cells feel the coast is clear. Quite often there may be followup maintenance chemo to keep a person in remission if there is no bone marrow transplant.

I’m not sure what chemo your family member received, but if a stem cell transplant isn’t an option, then there are drugs such as Decetabine, Venetoclax, Vidaza, among others which are better tolerated for older individuals. As we age, our bodies aren’t able to process aggressive or intensive chemo as efficiently; drugs can be rough on the organs. There have been several lower intensity drugs developed for aging patients.
The FDA recently approved a completely oral regimen of Venetoclax + Inqovi for AML patients over 70.

There is a difference between MRD positive and negative. MRD refers to Minimal Residual Disease. If your family member’s MRD is positive, that indicates the presence of residual leukemia cells after treatment, which is associated with a higher risk of relapse. Conversely, MRD negativity suggests a better prognosis and lower likelihood of relapse.

If MRD positive, I’d expect your family member’s doctor to offer some form of long-term followup treatment.
We have several members with AML who are having transplants. I think some of the conversations might be helpful for you. Here is one posted by @lindagi a few years ago.
~AML, age 78, taking Decetabine/ Venetoclax, no transplant
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/aml-age-78-taking-decetabine-venetoclax-no-transplant/
What has your family member’s doctor suggested?

75 year old with aml. Have been in remission for a year..everyone is different and survival rate depends on alot of factors..my doctor says three years but I hope she is wrong..bless your family member and all of us on this journey....