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Current Oncology Reports

Published in:

01-04-2022 | Chronic Myeloid Leukemia | Leukemia (A Aguayo, Section Editor)

Discontinuation of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in Patients with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: a Review of the Biological Factors Associated with Treatment-Free Remission

Authors: Ruth Stuckey, Juan Francisco López Rodríguez, María Teresa Gómez-Casares

Published in: Current Oncology Reports | Issue 4/2022

Abstract

Purpose of Review

Clinical factors alone do not enable us to differentiate which patients will maintain treatment-free remission (TFR) from those who are likely to relapse. Thus, patient-specific factors must also play a role. This review will update the reader on the most recent studies presenting biological factors that can help predict tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) discontinuation success.

Recent Findings

Cellular and molecular factors with a suggested role in TFR include immune factors and leukemic stem cell (LSC) persistence; the BCR::ABL1 transcript type, halving time, and BCR::ABL1 DNA and RNA positivity; as well as other molecular factors such as somatic mutations, RNA expression, and telomere length.

Summary

Our review presents several biomarkers with predictive value for TFR but also highlights areas of unmet need. Future discontinuation guidelines will likely include biological factors for the personalization of TFR prediction. However, it will be important that such advances do not prevent more patients from making a TKI discontinuation attempt.

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Title: Discontinuation of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in Patients with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: a Review of the Biological Factors Associated with Treatment-Free Remission
Authors: Ruth Stuckey
Juan Francisco López Rodríguez
María Teresa Gómez-Casares
Publication date: 01-04-2022
Publisher: Springer US
Keywords: Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors
Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors
Biomarkers
Published in: Current Oncology Reports / Issue 4/2022
Print ISSN: 1523-3790
Electronic ISSN: 1534-6269
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11912-022-01228-w

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