Discontinuation of tyrosine kinase therapy in CML.

Abstract

Over the past decade, a broad array of drugs designed to selectively inhibit protein tyrosine kinases (tyrosine kinase inhibitors or TKIs) have emerged as novel therapies for cancer patients. Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is one of the best examples of successful targeted therapy with a TKI. The overall survival of CML patients who respond to treatment is close to that of the healthy population. The response in many patients is so profound that it is possible to consider stopping their treatment and with time, the number of patients in this group has increased to the point where the issue of treatment cessation has become of utmost importance. This has led to the development of a new concept in the evaluation of CML entitled treatment-free remission. It will be the criterion to evaluate the success of future clinical trials, especially if we want to improve the management of the disease to the point where we can claim to have cured CML.