The difference between .09 and .07 is completely negligible. It is, however, NOT zero. It is detectable, and it is measured at these levels, which are virtually the same. So, stable. But I can certainly understand your wariness. If she had one more zero (say, .009 or .007, I'd feel a lot better about quitting the Gleevec. Remember, .1 is MMR (or MR3), .01 is MR4, and .001 is MR5. Many labs cut off at .01, so a person could be .001 or even lower in reality. At any rate, most of the cessation trial entry criteria call for "deep molecular response," which is generally MR4.5. Not all the studies do, however. If she could get down to .01 maybe you'd feel better about trying cessation?
Dx July 2009 on routine physical. WBC 94. Started Gleevec 400 mg Sept 2009. MMR at 2yrs. Side effects (malaise, depression/anxiety, fatigue, nausea, periorbital edema) never improved. Kidney issues developed because of Gleevec. Switched to Sprycel 70 mg in Aug 2011. Above side effects disappeared or improved. Have been MR3.5 - 4.5 ever since. Two untreated pleural effusions followed by one treated by stopping Sprycel Jan 2017. After 9 weeks, PCR showed loss of MMR; re-started Sprycel at 50 mg and in 3 months was back to <0.01% IS. Pleural effusion returned within a couple of months, same as before (moderate, left side only). Stopped Sprycel 50 mg for 12 weeks; pleural effusion resolved. At about a monthoff the drug, PCR was 0.03; at 11 weeks it was 2.06 - lost CCyR? Have returned to 50 mg Sprycel for 3 weeks, intending to reduce to 20 mg going forward.