{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,30]],"date-time":"2026-04-30T23:34:56Z","timestamp":1777592096456,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":19,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,28]],"date-time":"2025-03-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1743120000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Cancers"],"abstract":"<jats:p>(1) Background: The combination of venetoclax and hypomethylating agents (HMAs) is a standard first-line regimen for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients unfit for intensive chemotherapy. Since venetoclax-HMAs are usually administered until progression and delayed hematologic recovery is one of the limiting toxicities, cyclic administration including 7\u201314-day breaks is recommended. However, whether longer venetoclax schedules lead to higher response rates and how venetoclax pharmacokinetics correlate with toxicity and efficacy remains unclarified. In this single-center retrospective study, we analyzed how venetoclax plasma levels and treatment duration impact hematologic toxicity and treatment responses. (2) Methods: We analyzed the safety and efficacy of venetoclax-HMA combination regimens in a cohort of AML patients unfit for intensive chemotherapy treated at our institution between June 2020 and September 2023. The primary endpoint was the correlation between venetoclax plasma levels or administration schedule with hematologic recovery after the first cycle. Secondary endpoints included the following clinical outcomes: correlation with complete response (CR) status, progression-free survival, and overall survival. (3) Results: Within our cohort of 75 AML patients, we found no correlation between venetoclax plasma peak and trough levels, or venetoclax treatment duration (\u2264 or &gt;14 days), and hematologic toxicity. Patients receiving shorter venetoclax schedules (\u226414 days) had similar CR rates compared to patients treated with longer schedules. (4) Conclusions: Our results suggest that shorter (\u226414 days) venetoclax schedules may have no negative impact on tumor responses in AML patients receiving venetoclax and HMA combinations. However, prospective validation studies would be required to confirm these findings.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/cancers17071138","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,28]],"date-time":"2025-03-28T06:45:51Z","timestamp":1743144351000},"page":"1138","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":8,"title":["Impact of Venetoclax Treatment Schedule on Hematologic Recovery and Treatment Response in AML Patients Unfit for Intensive Chemotherapy"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Anja","family":"Sch\u00fcpbach","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Oncology, Inselspital, University of Bern, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1639-3059","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Dilara","family":"Akhoundova","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Oncology, Inselspital, University of Bern, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8771-947X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ulrike","family":"Bacher","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Hematology, Inselspital, University of Bern, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1323-3116","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Henning","family":"Nilius","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Chemistry, Inselspital, University of Bern, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mich\u00e8le","family":"Hoffmann","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Oncology, Inselspital, University of Bern, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0889-8922","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Carlo R.","family":"Largiad\u00e8r","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Chemistry, Inselspital, University of Bern, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland"},{"name":"Center of Laboratory Medicine (ZLM), Inselspital, University of Bern, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yolanda","family":"Aebi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Chemistry, Inselspital, University of Bern, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland"},{"name":"Center of Laboratory Medicine (ZLM), Inselspital, University of Bern, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Michael","family":"Hayoz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Chemistry, Inselspital, University of Bern, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland"},{"name":"Center of Laboratory Medicine (ZLM), Inselspital, University of Bern, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Marie-No\u00eblle","family":"Kronig","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Oncology, Inselspital, University of Bern, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6055-5257","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Thomas","family":"Pabst","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Oncology, Inselspital, University of Bern, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1345","DOI":"10.1182\/blood.2022016867","article-title":"Diagnosis and management of AML in adults: 2022 recommendations from an international expert panel on behalf of the ELN","volume":"140","author":"Wei","year":"2022","journal-title":"Blood"},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"American Cancer Society (2024, October 14). 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