How I treat atypical chronic myeloid leukemia

Atypical chronic myeloid leukemia, BCR-ABL1 negative (aCML) is a rare myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)/myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) for which no current standard of care exists. The challenges of aCML relate to its heterogeneous clinical and genetic features, high rate of transformation to acute myeloid leukemia, and historically poor survival. Therefore, allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation should always be an initial consideration for eligible patients with a suitable donor. Nontransplant approaches for treating aCML have otherwise largely relied on adopting treatment strategies used for MDS and MPN. However, such therapies, including hypomethylating agents, are based on a paucity of data. With an eye toward making a more meaningful impact on response rates and modification of the natural history of the disease, progress will rely on enrollment of patients into clinical trials and molecular profiling of individuals so that opportunities for targeted therapy can be exploited.