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Treatment-Free Remission in CML: the US Perspective

  • Chronic Myeloid Leukemias (M Mauro, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Hematologic Malignancy Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) have near-normal life expectancy. However, lifelong TKI therapy is associated with reduced quality of life and significant economic burden. Currently, the management of CML is shifting from continuous TKI therapy towards the goal of TKI cessation which is discussed in this review.

Recent Findings

Several studies in the last decade have demonstrated the feasibility and safety of TKI discontinuation in selected patients with CML who achieve deep and sustained molecular response with TKI. This has moved prime-time into clinical practice although open questions remain in terms of understanding the disease biology that leads to successful TKI cessation in some patients while not in others.

Summary

Cessation of TKI for CML patients is a feasible approach. Ongoing research aims to find out optimal strategies to sustain ongoing treatment-free remission (TFR) and increase the number of patients who achieve TFR.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Hematology/Oncology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA

    Guru Subramanian Guru Murthy & Ehab Atallah

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  1. Guru Subramanian Guru Murthy
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  2. Ehab Atallah
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Correspondence to Guru Subramanian Guru Murthy.

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Conflict of Interest

Ehab Atallah reports personal fees from Novartis, BMS, and Pfizer, outside the submitted work. Guru Subramanian Guru Murthy declares no conflict of interest.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Chronic Myeloid Leukemias

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Guru Murthy, G.S., Atallah, E. Treatment-Free Remission in CML: the US Perspective. Curr Hematol Malig Rep 14, 56–61 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11899-019-0496-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11899-019-0496-8

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