The achievement of molecular complete remission during treatment with imatinib mesylate correlates with relapse-free survival in bcr/abl-positive acute lymphoid leukemia patients.

Abstract

Using quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction we investigated the significance of achieving molecular complete remission (CR) in 12 patients with bcr/abl-positive acute lymphocytic leukemia treated with imatinib. The 6 patients who achieved molecular CR had significantly better relapse-free survival (RFS) than the others (9 vs 4 months) (p=0.000). Moreover, the 6 patients with a bcr-abl/GAPDHx100,000 ratio <2 after 4 weeks of treatment had significantly better RFS (10.5 vs 4 months) (p=0.004).

• Authors: Pier Paolo Piccaluga, Michele Malagola, Marilina Amabile, Michela Rondoni, Stefania Paolini, Fabrizio Pane, Domenico Russo, Giuseppe Visani, Michele Baccarani, Giovanni Martinelli
• Journal: Haematologica (Haematologica) Vol. 89 Issue 10 Pg. 1269-71 (Oct 2004) ISSN: 1592-8721 [Electronic] Italy
• PMID: 15477218 (Publication Type: Letter, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antineoplastic Agents
• Benzamides
• Biomarkers, Tumor
• Neoplasm Proteins
• Piperazines
• Pyrimidines
• Imatinib Mesylate
• Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl

Topics

• Antineoplastic Agents (therapeutic use)
• Benzamides
• Biomarkers, Tumor (blood)
• Disease-Free Survival
• Drug Evaluation
• Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl (blood)
• Humans
• Imatinib Mesylate
• Life Tables
• Neoplasm Proteins (blood)
• Piperazines (therapeutic use)
• Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma (blood, drug therapy, mortality)
• Pyrimidines (therapeutic use)
• Remission Induction
• Survival Analysis