2023-09-27 09:08:04
In recent decades, patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) have seen great changes in the prospects of treatment and quality of life, thanks to the arrival of targeted treatments such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors (Tki) which, taken orally, therefore without going to hospital, they are able to block the proliferation of leukemic cells and make the disease chronic. Cancers and serious blood diseases pose an enormous burden to individual patients, their families and society. Up to 75% of people with blood cancer live with tiredness, almost half live with pain and almost 20% say their relationships are compromised. This is what is reported in an article published in Allies for Health (www.alleatiperlasalute.it ), the portal dedicated to medical-scientific information created by Novartis.
Today, for those affected by chronic myelogenous leukemia, a Philadelphia-positive chronic myeloproliferative neoplasm which affects approximately 9 million Italians with an average age of around 60 years, the average life expectancy after diagnosis – we read in the article – it is no more than 5-7 years, but it is comparable to that of the general population, if the pathology is treated correctly and promptly. Despite these therapeutic advances, some patients do not respond to treatment (primary resistance) or lose response (secondary resistance) or exhibit signs and symptoms of treatment intolerance. In these cases it is necessary to interrupt the first-line therapy chosen and switch to a different inhibitor (second-line therapy). Today, even for patients resistant and/or intolerant to the second line of therapy there are treatment prospects.
It is estimated that approximately 50% of second-line patients – the article continues – interrupt treatment due to intolerance and/or resistance to treatments, so much so that 60-70% of these people do not achieve a satisfactory response to treatment ( defined as major molecular response, MMR), within 2 years of therapy. As regards intolerance, it is estimated that from 2 to 24% of patients suspend therapy due to adverse events related to the activity of TKIs, so much so that 52% of second-line patients make the switch, i.e. the transition to another drug, then to a third-line treatment.
These drugs used for years are generally well tolerated, even by elderly patients. Side effects are limited to muscle pain and cramps, weight gain (due to water retention), swelling around the eyes, conjunctivitis and skin rash, diarrhea. These resolve with suspension of therapy or by reducing the dosage, and in any case tend to decrease with the passage of time and are rarely serious. The full article is available on:
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