How much imatinib is enough?

Discontinuation of imatinib treatment after a sustained deep molecular response enables a proportion of people with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) to achieve treatment-free remission (TFR). Other patients experience a molecular relapse with rising BCR-ABL1 levels by reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR), and need to resume treatment to regain a deep molecular response. Since a TFR attempt has become an accepted part of the treatment pathway, physicians need to be able to provide information to their patients in order for them to decide when is the right time to stop. Multiple studies have now explored the question of how much imatinib is enough.

Dennis Kim and his co-investigators in the Canadian TRAD study have added additional data and an alternative perspective on how to answer this question...