B-Lymphoid Blast Phase–Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: Current Therapeutics

Abstract

Blast crisis (BC) is one of the most dreaded complications of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Fortunately, the incidence of BC has diminished markedly in the BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) era. The primary objective of initial treatment in BC is to achieve a second chronic phase (CP) and to proceed to an allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) in eligible patients. The clinical outcome of patients with CML BC remains unsatisfactory, even with highly potent TKIs, as remissions are short lived and there is an unmet need for novel therapies. We provide a comprehensive summary reviewing the current management of Lymphoid BC.