Hughes C - The presence of a specific genetic abnormality, targeted drug therapies, and the availability of sensitive and specific methods to monitor response make CML a unique disease amongst hematologic malignancies. Recent advances allow clinicians to make adjustments to therapy often before overt changes in the clinical course occur. Notably, knowledge of the molecular pathways and events driving disease progression are leading to the development of novel drug therapies. Standard cytogenetics, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) are cytogenetic methods employed to diagnose CML and to monitor response to treatment. A pivotal trial demonstrating the superiority of imatinib in patients with newly diagnosed CML reported complete cytogenetic response, with no Ph-positive (Ph+) cells seen in a sample of bone marrow, as a primary endpoint.
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