Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: What Every Practitioner Needs to Know in 2017
Discontinuation of tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy in select chronic myeloid leukemia patients with sustained deep molecular remission leads to durable treatment‑free remission in approximately 50% of patients.
The prognosis of chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) has improved so that life expectancy for patients responding to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) is now equivalent to age‑matched controls. Life expectancy is now improved, and the success of TKI therapy can be easily and reliably assessed at well‑accepted time points using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) standardized to the international scale. Patient‑reported outcome (PRO) tools are readily available for use in the clinic and provide complementary information on the tolerance of TKIs. Effectively managing adverse events of TKIs can improve compliance and quality of life. Discontinuation of TKIs is the next frontier in CML. In select patients with sustained deep molecular remission, a discontinuation of TKI is associated with a durable treatment‑free remission in approximately 50%. Attention should be paid to comorbidities that impact survival, and patient engagement in their discontinuation can be achieved through a provider multi‑team coaching approach, complementing available guidelines and may provide an additional safety net so that these discontinuations remain safe when applied in general practices.
Effective management of TKI therapy and its discontinuation can improve patient survival and quality of life in chronic myeloid leukemia.
Evidence level: Feltételezés / hírjelzés. Nincs önálló tudományos bizonyíték.
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