1 reply to this topic

[nathaliece]

I was diagnosed 11/10 and am on 400mg Gleevec.  At the time of my bone marrow biopsy, the bcr/abl was measured at 17.09%. I had my first PCR test a couple of weeks ago and was told that bcr/abl measured .666%.  My oncologist said he has to consult with colleagues to interpret these results and will let me know next week sometime.  As you can imagine, being new to this, I am anxious.  Is this a 90% reduction?  I consulted with a transplant specialist at the request of my oncologist.  He explained that I needed to have a 2 log reduction by 12 months and a 3 log reduction by 18 months.  When I asked him to explain this, he said 2 log reduction meant a 200 fold reduction.  I am to have the PCR test every 90 days.  Should the decrease be consistent each quarter or does the bcr/able decrease more quickly early in treatment or later in treatment?  Are these results good?  Any explanations or information would be so appreciated.

Thanks,
Nat

[Trey]

The 17.09% number was a PCR at the time of diagnosis.  Starting with your initial PCR of 17.09%, your personal log reductions would be:

-1Log: 1.7%

-2Log: .17%

-3Log: .017%

So your .666% is more than a 1 Log reduction and less than 2 Log.  That is reasonable progress in about 3 months.

There are also lab standard log reductions that are sometimes used instead of personal log reductions.  That is because we all start with different PCRs, so it seeks to set a standardized starting point for measurement.  Ask your Onc if the lab he uses has a standardized log reduction.

You might want to read this for more info:

http://community.lls.org/message/38716