In general, the greater the response to drug therapy, the longer the disease will be controlled Monitoring treatment response is one of the key strategies for managing CML. A treatment response is an improvement related to the patient’s treatment. Types of ResponseĪfter patients begin treatment, their doctors will periodically order blood and bone marrow tests to determine whether they are responding to treatment. Your doctor compares these numbers with the results of the lab test done at the start of your treatment.
He or she regularly measures the number of red cells, white cells, platelets and CML cells in your blood. Your doctor measures your response using general treatment response guidelines for your first year of CML drug therapy.
Change to a different drug or drug combination to manage side effects.Change to a different drug or drug combination to better control the CML.Decrease or stop the drug briefly because of side effects.Increase your drug dose to try for a better response.Your test results help your doctor decide whether to: This is a critically important part of treatment for people with CML. Your doctor needs to monitor your response to drug therapy for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) with blood and bone marrow tests. You may download a copy of My CML Tracker Pages.
My CML Tracker Pages is a tool to help you keep track of appointments, questions for your doctor, medications, side effects, test results and notes. Generally, these difficulties can be either managed or completely overcome. Patients should let their treatment team members know if there are any problems (including side effects) that make it difficult for them to take the medication as prescribed. Avoiding foods, liquids or other medications that not allowed.
Reporting any side effects so that supportive treatment can be administered.Taking the appropriate number of pills as ordered: at the right time, on the right day, every day.Good adherence means that a patient follows all of the doctor’s recommendations, including Unless they are following their doctor’s instructions, stopping medication or taking less than the amount prescribed can impact how well the medication works and may result in a loss of response and an unfavorable treatment outcome.įor patients with CML, adhering to treatment is associated with the probability of achieving and improving long-term outcomes, including achieving a major molecular response and improved survival. It is important for patients to continue taking their medication to get the best response. Since the introduction of the drug Gleevec® and similar tyrosine kinase inhibitors, the number of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) who enter remission and stay in remission for years has increased dramatically over the past decade.įor survival statistics, click here. The Trish Greene Back to School Program.