Chronic myelogenous leukemia: elements of conventional chemotherapy and an overview of autografting in the treatment of the chronic phase.
Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) consists of a clonal malignancy that arises from a pluripotent hematopoietic stem call. In most cases, neoplastic cells are characterized by the formation of a shortened chromosome 22 called the Philadelphia chromosome. It results from a reciprocal translocation between long arms of chromosomes 9 and 22. A rearranged gene (bcr-abl) is the consequence of this translocation, and it may be considered as the first step toward leukemic transformation. Conventional chemotherapy of CML in the chronic phase is unable to suppress the Ph+ leukemic clone. The treatment with the IFNalpha may induce an overall cytogenetic response rate of 40-50% of patients. Autografting for patients with CML in chronic phase may induce a 53% overall cytogenetic response rate with a duration of disease-free time and survival from the autograft ranging, respectively, from 4 to 24 mo and from 8 to 40 mo.
Lauta
Vito Michele
VM
Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, Section of Internal Medicine and Clinical Oncology, University of Bari Medical School, Policlinico, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy.
D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D036102:Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D015996:Survival Rate; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous