Tyrosine kinase inhibitor discontinuation can improve CML outcomes

Reuters Health - 25/11/2020 - In patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), discontinuing tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy is safe and associated with better patient-reported outcomes, a nonrandomized trial reveals. "Consider treatment discontinuation in CML patients who have achieved a sustained deep molecular response," Dr. Ehab Atallah of the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee told Reuters Health by email. "After treatment discontinuation, close monitoring with BCR-ABL PCR is necessary. PCR need to be monitored monthly for six months, every two months for 18 months then every three months thereafter." "Patients with undetectable BCR-ABL1 at the time of discontinuation and at three months have a 96% of staying in major molecular response and not restarting therapy," he said. As reported in JAMA Oncology, Dr. Atallah and colleagues enrolled 172 CML patients (median age, 60; 52% women) from 14 US centers from 2014-2016, with a minimum follow-...

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Posted on 25 November, 20201 December, 2020