Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) patients who are unresponsive to
conventional treatments could be given imatinib in the future.
A new report from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in
Houston has found that the targeted drug can be very effective, as 93 per cent
of CML sufferers who use the gene-inhibiting medicine survive at least eight
years. Without imatinib, the average survival span is only three to six years.
The scientists state these results show most patients can benefit from
imatinib use after unsuccessful interferon treatments and other therapeutic
options do not always have to be considered.
However, doctors warned that despite the successes, little is known about
the long-term prognosis of patients who receive the drug.
Cancer Research UK states that CML is split into
three stages. In the chronic and accelerated phase, symptoms include tiredness,
weight loss and an enlarged spleen, in the blast phase symptoms develop rapidly
and patients begin to feel unwell.
© Adfero Ltd
Cancer treatment news : 28 February 2012
