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Risk and early cytogenetic response to imatinib and interferon in chronic myeloid leukemia
Gianantonio Rosti1, Elena Trabacchi, Simona Bassi
1L. and A. Seràgnoli Institute of Hematology and Medical Oncology, St. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Bologna University, via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy. grosti@kaiser.alma.unibo.it
Background And Objectives:
We compared the early cytogenetic response (CgR) to a combination of imatinib mesylate (Glivec, Novartis Pharma, Basel, Switzerland) and a pegylated form of human recombinant interferon-alpha2b (pegIFN-alpha2b, PegIntron, Schering Plough, Kenilworth, New Jersey, USA) with the relative risk, either according to Sokal's or Euro scoring systems.
Design And Methods:
Seventy-seven patients with early chronic phase, previously untreated, Ph-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) received a combination of imatinib mesylate (400 mg/day) and pegIFN-alpha2b (3 consecutive cohorts treated with 50, 100 or 150 mg/weekly). Fifty-seven patients have completed the first 6 months of treatment and are evaluable for CgR.
Results:
After 6 months of treatment, the overall major CgR rate was 89% and 90% in low risk patients (Sokal's and Euro, respectively), 76 and 59% in intermediate risk and 23% and 17% in high risk patients. These differences were significant (p=0.0001 for Sokal and 0.001 for e).
Interpretation And Conclusions:
For the first time, these data suggest that the early CgR rate to a imatinib mesylate-based regimen is significantly risk-related.