title: Interferon alpha 2 maintenance therapy may enable high rates of treatment discontinuation in chronic myeloid leukemia.
abstract: A minority of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients is capable of successfully discontinuing imatinib. Treatment modalities to increase this proportion are currently unknown. Here, we assessed the role of interferon alpha 2a (IFN) on therapy discontinuation in a previously reported cohort of 20 chronic phase CML patients who were treated upfront with IFN alpha plus imatinib followed by IFN monotherapy to maintain cytogenetic or molecular remission (MR) after imatinib discontinuation. After a median follow-up of 7.9 years (range, 5.2-12.2), relapse-free survival was 73% (8/11 patients) and 84% (5/6 patients) for patients who discontinued imatinib in major MR (MMR) and MR4/MR4.5, respectively. Ten patients discontinued IFN after a median of 4.5 years (range, 0.24-9.3). After a median of 2.8 years (range, 0.7-5.1), nine of them remain in ongoing treatment-free remission with MR5 (n=6) and MR4.5 (n=3). The four patients who still administer IFN are in stable MR5, MR4.5, MR4, and MMR, respectively. In conclusion, an IFN/imatinib induction treatment followed by a temporary IFN maintenance therapy may enable a high rate of treatment discontinuation in CML patients in at least MMR when stopping imatinib.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Hämatologie/Onkologie und Immunologie, Universitätsklinikum Gießen und Marburg, Standort Marburg, Philipps Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Burchert
authors.affiliation: III. Medizinische Klinik, Universitätsmedizin Mannheim, Universität Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saussele
authors.affiliation: Abt. f. Hämatologie und Internistische Onkologie, Universitätsklinikum Jena, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Eigendorff
authors.affiliation: III. Medizinische Klinik, Universitätsmedizin Mannheim, Universität Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Hämatologie/Onkologie und Immunologie, Universitätsklinikum Gießen und Marburg, Standort Marburg, Philipps Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sohlbach
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Hämatologie/Onkologie und Immunologie, Universitätsklinikum Gießen und Marburg, Standort Marburg, Philipps Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Inselmann
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Hämatologie/Onkologie und Immunologie, Universitätsklinikum Gießen und Marburg, Standort Marburg, Philipps Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schütz
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Hämatologie/Onkologie und Immunologie, Universitätsklinikum Gießen und Marburg, Standort Marburg, Philipps Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Metzelder
authors.affiliation: Abt. f. Hämatologie und Internistische Onkologie, Universitätsklinikum Jena, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ziermann
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Hämatologie/Onkologie und Immunologie, Universitätsklinikum Gießen und Marburg, Standort Marburg, Philipps Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kostrewa
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Hämatologie/Onkologie und Immunologie, Universitätsklinikum Gießen und Marburg, Standort Marburg, Philipps Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.affiliation: III. Medizinische Klinik, Universitätsmedizin Mannheim, Universität Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hehlmann
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Hämatologie/Onkologie und Immunologie, Universitätsklinikum Gießen und Marburg, Standort Marburg, Philipps Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Neubauer
authors.affiliation: Abt. f. Hämatologie und Internistische Onkologie, Universitätsklinikum Jena, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hochhaus
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001549:Benzamides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010879:Piperazines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011379:Prognosis; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012074:Remission Induction; D015996:Survival Rate; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001549:Benzamides; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D010879:Piperazines; D011743:Pyrimidines; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate