Does a rise in the BCR-ABL1 transcript level identify chronic phase CML patients responding to imatinib who have a high risk of cytogenetic relapse?
BCR-ABL1 transcript numbers were monitored in 161 patients who started treatment with imatinib early after diagnosis of chronic myeloid leukaemia in chronic phase and achieved complete cytogenetic responses (CCyR). A confirmed doubling in BCR-ABL1/ABL1 transcript levels was found to be a significant factor for predicting loss of CCyR [relative risk (RR) 8.3, P < 0.0001] and progression to advanced phase (RR 0.07, P = 0.03) provided that the eventual BCR-ABL1/ABL1 transcript level exceeded 0.05%; increases that never exceeded 0.05% had no predictive value. The finding of a kinase domain mutation in a patient in CCyR, though rare, also predicted for loss of CCyR.
Marin
David
D
Department of Haematology, Hammersmith Hospitals Trust, Imperial College London, London, UK. d.marin@imperial.ac.uk
Khorashad
Jamshid S
JS
Foroni
Letizia
L
Milojkovic
Dragana
D
Szydlo
Richard
R
Reid
Alistair G
AG
Rezvani
Katayoun
K
Bua
Marco
M
Goldman
John M
JM
Apperley
Jane F
JF