[Interferon alpha in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia]

The authors present their results assembled in patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) to whom they administered interferon alpha (IFN) in the chronic stage of the disease. They evaluated the survival of patients and the haematological and cytogenetic response. They recorded a favourable haematological response in patients with CML to IFN treatment comparable with data reported in the literature. They assume that the smaller number of cytogenetic responses is due to the smaller percentage of patients in the early chronic stage and short period of hydroxyurea administration at the onset of treatment. They consider interferon alpha, similarly as other authors, a successful drug in the treatment of the chronic stage of chronic myeloid leukaemia.