Treatment of Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia

Prognosis for Patients with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia

The prognosis (outlook) for patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) depends upon a number of variables. Some of the factors that can influence prognosis in chronic myelogenous leukemia include:

• Age of the patient
• Patient's overall general health status
• The phase of the disease (chronic; accelerated; blastic)
• The percentage of blasts in the bone marrow and blood
• The extent of spleen enlargement at the time of diagnosis of chronic myelogenous leukemia.

It is important to keep in mind that the prognosis for patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia has improved significantly during the past few decades. Whereas, in the past, when hydroxyurea was the standard drug used for the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia, the median survival rates for patients with chronic phase chronic myelogenous leukemia was only about 4 to 5 years, the availability of newer treatments such as interferon-alpha and allogeneic SCT has resulted in nearly doubling the median survival rates for chronic phase chronic myelogenous leukemia. With the advent of imatinib mesylate, a drug that has revolutionized the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia since it was approved by the FDA in 2001, the prognosis for patients with chronic phase chronic myelogenous leukemia is even more favorable. Unfortunately, the prognosis for patients with more advanced phases of chronic myelogenous leukemia is more guarded than for the chronic phase of the disease. Patients with accelerated phase chronic myelogenous leukemia have a median survival of 1 to 2 years, whereas, patients with blastic phase chronic myelogenous leukemia have a median survival of 3 to 12 months.