Is there a role for maintenance therapy in acute myeloid leukaemia?

Maintenance therapy is not part of current standard treatment for acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). However, in other leukaemias, maintenance therapy is used to prolong responses and increase the cure rate. While maintenance chemotherapy has not been shown to improve outcome in AML, several other maintenance strategies are currently being tested in this disease, including immunotherapy, demethylating agents and targeted therapies. While maintenance chemotherapy does not appear to have a role in AML curative therapy, the novel maintenance strategies currently being tested appear promising and warrant further study.