Pharmacotherapy for chronic myelogenous leukemia: a case-based approach

TKIs have become the standard of care for CML. Imatinib was the first to transform the outcomes of this disease. Dasatinib and nilotinib were recently added to the armamentarium for imatinib-resistant disease and, more recently, for first-line therapy. When choosing a TKI for patients, adverse effects, presence of mutations in the BCR-ABL kinase domain, and cost should be considered. Once chosen, drug interactions should be evaluated for all patients. New drugs are being studied to prevent disease progression and for patients with T315I mutations. This article reviews the pharmacotherapy of CML with the aid of a patient case.