An interesting article on new treatment approaches that are focused on "cure".
The article below summarizes research underway (some of which we are familiar; T cell therapy by Dr. Carl June, et. al.) using combined therapies (two or more TKI's together) to drive CML into permanent remission enabling TKI cessation. Also - work (that I will be participating in) involving the Hedgehog pathway + TKI to eliminate LSC's.
I am very excited about these emerging approaches and the focus on cure. I strongly believe that none of us are going to "die" of CML. We can experiment with low residual disease, go on and off therapy to test remission and "cure" without fear that the disease will grow and run away from us. Study after study shows that when patients stop therapy and re-test later showing CML has returned, they can go back on therapy for quick remission and sometimes even a deeper remission. As long as FISH is zero and PCR is below 0.1%, patients have the luxury of experimenting without fear of progression. It's interesting how many of us have worries over PCR going from 0.001 to 0.002.
This is why its excellent that some of us (ChrisC, others) are stopping treatment to test durability of remission.
Here's to a TKI free life.
http://www.expertcli...s.aspx?id=46523
