My husband has blast phase CML and started Sprycel to put him in remission. His doctor said he would need to do a Stem Cell Transplant 8 to 10 months from now because the Sprycel will stop working. My question is has anyone been able to avoid a stem cell transplant and have TKI as an effective treatment long term?
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Blast phase Treatment
What are your husbands blood count numbers?
In particular what is his blast cell percentage?
He can certainly avoid a stem cell transplant if he can get his blast cell count down to below a few percent.
Also - very important that his vitamin D level is between 50-100 ng/ml (ideal is 60-70 ng/ml). Chances are his vitamin D level is very low (typical for northern latitude office workers who wear sunscreen). Vitamin D is critical for causing blast cells, even leukemic ones to differentiate into later stage cells. Vitamin D can help get his blast cell count under control. I take 5,000 IU's per day (with food) during summer.
My diagnosis 3.5 years ago was blast phase, that’s what my medical record says. BMT never came up from my ONC. Put on 600mg Gleevec and zero blasts or mutations at 6 month BMB. MMR at 12 month. PCR steady at .02 with .00000 once. I have read the blast phase diagnosis is some what subjective, with many variables.
Hi Scuba, thank you for your response. His CML expresses itself very strange. Very rare! It’s almost like Myeloma. He’s never had high white counts. In fact, when diagnosed it was low. His blood work now is excellent but has lesions/tumors in bones which contain blasts. His bone marrow shows accelerated stage but biopsy of a bone tumor shows blast phase. I will have to go over the reports to remember exactly the percentage of blasts. The only way they can monitor the disease is through bone scans. He is on a high dose of Sprycel right now. I will get back with more info.
Very interesting. Thank you for sharing. Do you recall what your PCR was at diagnosis? Have you done any other therapy’s along withthe Gleevac? Glad you are doing well!