Summary:
The main obstacles to successful hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in blast crisis (BC) are increased post-transplant relapse and high treatment-related mortality. We report a patient with CML in BC who was treated initially with imatinib mesylate and was then concurrently treated with a nonmyeloablative stem cell transplant. Successful engraftment of donor cells followed by complete cytogenetic remission was achieved in the absence of severe therapy-related toxicities. This case demonstrates that imatinib mesylate given through nonmyeloablative transplant is a minimally toxic therapeutic approach, which does not compromise engraftment and may result in a favorable outcome in patients with CML in BC.
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Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the continued efforts of all the nurses in the bone marrow transplantation unit for the care of our patient. We also thank Dr GF How for performing the chimerism analysis, and Christina Sivaswaren for performing the cytogenetic and FISH analysis. Critical comments given by Dr Nelson Chao, Director of the Bone Marrow Transplantation Program, Duke University Medical Center, are also greatly appreciated.
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Koh, L., Hwang, W., Chuah, C. et al. Imatinib mesylate (STI-571) given concurrently with nonmyeloablative stem cell transplantation did not compromise engraftment and resulted in cytogenetic remission in a patient with chronic myeloid leukemia in blast crisis. Bone Marrow Transplant 31, 305–308 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1703836
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1703836
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