Naoto Takahashi*
Department of Hematology, Nephrology, and Rheumatology, Akita University, Japan
Published: 08 July 2014

ABBREVIATIONS: CML: Chronic Myeloid Leukemia; TKIs: Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors; CCyR: Complete Cytogenetic Remission; MMR: Major
Molecular Response; ELN; European Leukemia Net; STIM: Stop Imatinib; bcr-abl: breakpoint cluster region-Abelson 1; PCR: Polymerase Chain Reaction; ASH: American Society of Hematology; TFR: Treatment-Free Remission; QOL: Quality Of Life; MRD: Minimal Residual Disease; BCRP: Breast Cancer Resistance Protein; SNPs: Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms; GIST: Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor; BIM: BCL2-Like

INTRODUCTION
Treatment of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) with Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs) such as imatinib has dramatically improved the prognosis of this condition. However, the cessation of TKI treatment is considered impossible, because in vitro assays show that CML stem cells cannot be eliminated [1]. Clinically, neither Complete Cytogenetic Remission (CCyR) nor a Major Molecular Response (MMR) is sufficient to prevent recurrence after the cessation of medication [2,3]. Furthermore, progression from chronic to acute-phase disease is considered a major risk factor for treatment cessation. Such a progression is difficult to treat with TKI alone; the European Leukemia Net (ELN) guidelines and the hematopoietic tumor guidelines of the Japanese Society of Hematology prohibit TKI treatment cessation in daily practice outside planned clinical research settings [4,5]. On the other hand, treatment effects are reported to be sometimes maintained after incidental or planned treatment cessation prompted by side effects or pregnancy [6-11].

T P Hughes, G Saglio, A Quintás-Cardama, M J Mauro, D-W Kim, J H Lipton, M B Bradley-Garelik, J Ukropec and A Hochhaus

BCR-ABL1 mutations are a common, well-characterized mechanism of resistance to imatinib as first-line treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase (CML-CP). Less is known about mutation development during first-line treatment with dasatinib and nilotinib, despite increased use due to higher response rates compared with imatinib. Retrospective analyses were conducted to characterize mutation development in patients with newly diagnosed CML-CP treated with dasatinib (n=259) or imatinib (n=260) in DASISION, with 3-year minimum follow-up. Mutation screening, including patients who discontinued treatment and patients who had a clinically relevant on-treatment event (no confirmed complete cytogenetic response [cCCyR] and no major molecular response [MMR] within 12 months; five-fold increase in BCR-ABL1 with loss of MMR; loss of CCyR), yielded a small number of patients with mutations (dasatinib, n=17; imatinib, n=18). Dasatinib patients had a narrower spectrum of mutations (4 vs 12 sites for dasatinib vs imatinib), fewer phosphate–binding loop mutations (1 vs 9 mutations), fewer multiple mutations (1 vs 6 patients), and greater occurrence of T315I (11 vs 0 patients). This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00481247.

Elisabetta Abruzzese, Malgorzata Monika Trawinska, Alessio Pio Perrotti, and Paolo De Fabritiis

Abstract
The management of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) during pregnancy has become recently a matter of continuous debate. The introduction of the Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs) in clinical practice has dramatically changed the prognosis of CML patients; in fact, patients diagnosed in chronic phase can reasonably expect many years of excellent disease control and good quality of life, as well as a normal life expectancy, including the necessity to address issues relating to fertility and pregnancy. Physicians are frequently being asked for advice regarding the need for, and/or the appropriateness of, stopping treatment in order to conceive. In this report, we will review the data published in terms of fertility, conception, pregnancy, pregnancy outcome and illness control for TKI treated CML patients, as well as how to manage a planned and/or unplanned pregnancy.

Published in Oncology
News · June 12, 2015

June 11, 2015 – Vienna, Austria – A comparison of different first-line treatment strategies for chronic myeloid leukemia in a network meta-analysis has shown a significant and relevant nilotinib advantage over standard imatinib 400 mg. This result, covering a patient population of 6314 patients, was reported at the 20th Congress of the European Hematology Society, from June 11 – 14, 2015.