[Chronic myelogenous leukemia in cessation of therapy after sustained CCR with interferon].
In Ph(+) CML patients who achieved complete cytogenetic response (CCR) with interferon-alpha (IFN) treatment, how long the treatment should be continued has not well been investigated. We report here 2 CML cases who stopped the treatment after CCR had been sustained with IFN for 2-3 years. A 49-year-old male (case 1) achieved CCR 6 months after the initiation of IFN treatment. CCR had been maintained for 3 years, and then the treatment was ceased. CCR has been sustained without any therapy for 4 years. In this case, RT-PCR became negative half a year after achievement of CCR, and since then negative RT-PCR has been maintained. In case 2, a 50-year-old male, CCR was achieved after 8 years of IFN treatment, and maintained for 2 years. One month after cessation of the treatment, CML relapsed cytogenetically. In case 2, negative RT-PCR results were not maintained during the period of CCR. In case 1, the levels of T-cells for PR 1 were undetectable in the peripheral blood.
Division of Hematology, NTT Kanto Medical Center.
Kensuke
K
Usuki
Yoshinobu
Y
Kanda
Kimiko
K
Iijima
Seiko
S
Iki
Hisamaru
H
Hirai
Akio
A
Urabe
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D020732:Cytogenetic Analysis; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D012074:Remission Induction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha