Discontinuation or Cessation of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Treatment in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Patients with Deep Molecular Response

Abstract

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is an example of successful targeted therapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI). The overall survival of CML patients who respond to TKI is now considered very close to that of the healthy population control. Several clinical trials have demonstrated that some patients with CML in chronic phase who achieve sustained deep molecular remission (DMR) on TKI therapy can safely discontinue therapy and attempt treatment-free remission (TFR). It should be considered a future criterion for evaluating a successful clinical trial that will account for quality of life and economic factors, important aspects to consider. The question of cure of CML is now one of the major concerns and must be considered in the management of the disease.