Treatment-free remission in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML): experience of basra hematology center

Abstract

Author(s): Ali Khazaal Jumaa*, Asaad Abdulameer Khalaf, Hasson Mahdi Hasson, Qutaiba Muslim Dawood and Zaynab Raad Qasim

Improved survival rates in Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML) lead to increasing prevalence of the disease, increasing cost and burden on health care systems. The current study aimed to assess the outcome of CML patients that maintained a durable molecular response, after TKI stopping in Iraq. The study enrolled 18 patients with CML who were treated for more than 5 years with Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs) and got a Major Molecular Response (MMR) for 2 years. All patients were subjected to close follow-up after stopping TKI with PCR every 3 months to monitor molecular response. Median age of 45-year, median duration of disease before stopping TKI was the 93-month and median duration of MMR was 37-month. During a median duration of 24 months of follow-up after TKI stopping, 13 patients (72%) succeeded to maintain MMR, while 5 patients (28%) did not. The molecular relapse occurred during the first year of follow up and all 5 patients succeeded to reach MMR (bcr-abl ≤ 0.1%) 3 months after resuming TKI. There was no significant impact of age and duration of treatment and MMR before TKI stopped on treatment-free remission. Treatment-free remission for at least 2 years was found among 70% of the studied patients. Molecular relapses typically occurred within 12 months of TKI discontinuation, and patients quickly regained their molecular response upon retreatment with the same TKI.

Share this article