Efficacy and safety of imatinib in paediatric CML – A single centre study

Abstract

Background/Aim: Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) rarely affects the paediatric population and has an incidence of 0.06-0.12/100,000 children per year. The dire clinical course of paediatric CML is further exacerbated by the adverse effects of long-term imatinib therapy. Patients and Methods: Our cohort comprised 14 CML patients who were treated with imatinib between July 2010 and September 2018. The European Leukaemia Net (ELN) standard milestones of response criteria were used to evaluate its therapeutic effectiveness. Results: Complete haematological remission and partial cytogenetic response were achieved in all patients. Complete cytogenetic response was achieved in seven patients. Major molecular response was achieved in six patients. Two patients underwent haematopoietic stem cell transplantation due to unsatisfactory response to imatinib. Conclusion: Imatinib is effective in treating paediatric CML and limits the progression to advanced stages, however, the quality of life still needs to be optimised.