WHAT ARE THE TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR CML?
For many years, the only treatment for CML was palliation with the drug busulfan (a drug that reduces the number of white cells and platelets as well as red cells but does not slow down progression of the disease. Hydroxyurea was also used for this purpose. Then it was found that interferon-alpha can control CML in about 80% of patients and reduces the Philadelphia chromosome in about 40%. Interferon-alpha does not cure CML but it did extend the time to progression from about 4 years for hydroxyurea to 12 or more years. An intractable problem was the side effects experienced at the doses used to treat CML. Next came combinations of interferon-alpha and ARA-C which were found to be superior to interferon alone. But the advent of the first targeted therapy, imatinib (Gleevec) changed the face of CML treatment. This drug binds the bcr-abl protein and turns off its abnormal activity. It is first line therapy for newly diagnosed CML patients and many achieve complete hematologic and cytogen
For many years, the only treatment for CML was palliation with the drug busulfan (a drug that reduces the number of white cells and platelets as well as red cells but does not slow down progression of the disease. Hydroxyurea was also used for this purpose. Then it was found that interferon-alpha can control CML in about 80% of patients and reduces the Philadelphia chromosome in about 40%. Interferon-alpha does not cure CML but it did extend the time to progression from about 4 years for hydroxyurea to 12 or more years. An intractable problem was the side effects experienced at the doses used to treat CML. Next came combinations of interferon-alpha and ARA-C which were found to be superior to interferon alone. But the advent of the first targeted therapy, imatinib (Gleevec) changed the face of CML treatment. This drug binds the bcr-abl protein and turns off its abnormal activity. It is first line therapy for newly diagnosed CML patients and many achieve complete hematologic and cytogen
