French study examines Gleevec discontinuation in CML

Researchers at Laboratoire d'Hematologie et Service des Maladies du Sang and colleagues reported interim data from the STIM trial evaluating whether treatment with Gleevec imatinib for chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) can be discontinued in the long term without occurrence of molecular relapse in patients with complete molecular remission. Interim data from 69 evaluable patients showed that 41% and 38% of patients maintained complete molecular remission at 12 and 24 months after stopping Gleevec treatment, respectively. At a median follow-up of 24 months, 42 patients relapsed after discontinuing treatment with Gleevec, including 40 patients before six months, one patient at month seven and one patient at month 19. However, the researchers said that all patients who relapsed responded to reintroduction of Gleevec, with reductions in BCR-ABL levels occurring in 16 patients, and 26 patients achieving a sustained complete molecular remission. ...