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[bagdaddi]

Hi Everyone,

First - thanks to everyone who contributes on this board.  I was diagnosed 3 months ago and am on the board several times/week and can usually find answers to my questions by searching, without having to start a new thread.  Trey's CML Blog in particular has been a great source of info.  This is my first post -  I can't wait for my Dr to get back from vacation next week to help explain my PCR. 

Just called and got the 3 month PCR test result (don't believe I had one done at initial diagnosis so no original baseline to compare to for reduction calculation).  The BCR-ABL ratio was 0.039. 

Does this seem to be a "good response" at 3 months?  Is there an achievement level that is expected as early as the 3 month mark?  Without an initial PCR for a baseline, is there a "typical" baseline level I should use to caluculate what a  3 log reduction value would be?  Been on 600 mg/day Tasigna since diagnosis, otherwise healthy 43 year old male. 

[Trey]

A BCR-ABL ratio of 0.039 is 3.9%   The differences among labs can be significant, but if you can have the result converted into International Scale then you can relate it to average log reductions which will provide a "typical" response.  In very rough terms 3.9% is not very high so it is likely a good response so far.

But a more important issue is that PCRs are best used for trend analysis when PCRs for the same patient and from the same lab are compared one to the other over a long period of time.