CLINICAL NEWS
prior to imatinib cessation increased the RFS
rate by 2 to 3 percent.”
This report updates earlier results
from the multicenter, non-randomized
trial, when data were available for the
first 200 patients evaluable for molecular
RFS at six months, with the goal of defin-
ing precise conditions for safe treatment
discontinuation. The study enrolled
758 patients (median age at diagnosis =
52.0 years; range = 11.2-85.5 years) with
chronic-phase CML who had taken TKIs
for at least three years without treatment
failure and had a documented major mo-
lecular response (MMR; defined as >0.1%
BCR-ABL1 transcripts on the Interna-
tional Scale) for at least one year.
Study researchers used reverse transcrip-
tion polymerase chain reaction to assess
molecular response. Assessments were
performed once a month during the initial
six-month period after discontinuation
of TKI therapy. Additional assessments of
molecular response were performed every
six months until month 12, and every three
months thereafter f