looking for cml/gleevec resistance articles

Specialties Oncology

Published

Hi everyone! Im a newly graduated nurse and my husband is a 4 year survivor of CML, tx w/ Gleevec 400mg.

Found out today that his whites are increaseing slowly (4.9 - 6.3 over five months) and that he is FISH + again by bone marrow (slightly) and while his blood has never gotten to negative, it was only + in the slightest but that is up a bit too.

Long and short he is looking at a repeat bone marrow biopsy next week and more blood drawn today. Likely a higher dose of med is coming, or the new 'super gleevec' that we've heard about.

I am NOT looking for medical advice! I AM looking for articles or info about gleevec resistance and also any stats about CML recurrence in general w/ gleevec tx. Most of the studies I have found talk about CML recurrance either post-transplant or recurrence when gleevec was started in the accelerated stage (my husband was in chronic stage when he was diagnosed although he was really sick with it) I am trying very hard to educate myself about this and be realistic. I was told at first that he'd have maybe 9 years from diagnosis, and that was right before the gleevec was used, 9 years was the time given for interferon, which he failed misterably. (which is a good thing when I think of how few side effects he has had comparatively w/ gleevec) But being the terrible realist that I am, I am also attempting to find up to date info on lifespan prognosis w/ gleevec and I'm having a devil of a time finding stuff that I don't have to pay for!

If anyone has any good links please share them here. I may just end up writing to Dr. Druker himself but I want to try to find more out before I bother him!

Thanks in advance!

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