This article is part of the supplement: Current trends in leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma and ITP: updates and highlights from ASH 2008
Meeting abstract
Update of recent studies in chronic myeloid leukemia
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Correspondence: Karen Seiter Karen_seiter@nymc.edu
Division of Hematology and Oncology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA
Journal of Hematology & Oncology 2009, 2(Suppl 1):A2 doi:10.1186/1756-8722-2-S1-A2
Published: 26 June 2009First paragraph (this article has no abstract)
The use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) has dramatically improved outcomes for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). The IRIS study is the definitive phase III trial of imatinib mesylate as frontline therapy for CML. Seven year follow-up data has recently been reported [1]. The overall survival (including deaths from all causes) is 86% and the event free survival is 81% at seven years. Seven percent of patients have progressed to accelerated or blastic phase, with the highest risk being in the second year of treatment. Eighty-two percent of patients have achieved complete cytogenetic remission (CCyR) and 83% of these patients maintain that remission. Of the patients that discontinued study, 8% were for toxicity, 15% for efficacy and 17% for other reasons.