The achievement of molecular complete remission during treatment with imatinib mesylate correlates with relapse-free survival in bcr/abl-positive acute lymphoid leukemia patients.
Using quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction we investigated the significance of achieving molecular complete remission (CR) in 12 patients with bcr/abl-positive acute lymphocytic leukemia treated with imatinib. The 6 patients who achieved molecular CR had significantly better relapse-free survival (RFS) than the others (9 vs 4 months) (p=0.000). Moreover, the 6 patients with a bcr-abl/GAPDHx100,000 ratio <2 after 4 weeks of treatment had significantly better RFS (10.5 vs 4 months) (p=0.004).
Pier Paolo
PP
Piccaluga
Michele
M
Malagola
Marilina
M
Amabile
Michela
M
Rondoni
Stefania
S
Paolini
Fabrizio
F
Pane
Domenico
D
Russo
Giuseppe
G
Visani
Michele
M
Baccarani
Giovanni
G
Martinelli
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001549:Benzamides; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D015993:Life Tables; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D010879:Piperazines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012074:Remission Induction; D016019:Survival Analysis
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001549:Benzamides; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D010879:Piperazines; D011743:Pyrimidines; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl