Prognosis/life expectancy/healing chances
According to the current state of science, chronic myeloid leukaemia cannot be cured with medication. In cases of advanced disease or lack of response to therapy, a bone marrow transplantation, which is curative in principle (i.e. promising to cure) but risky, can be considered. Therefore, it is not so easy to make generally valid statements regarding the individual prognosis or life expectancy.
In principle, chronic myeloid leukaemia is characterised by a massive increase in the number of cells in the blood, which causes complications and discomfort. The aim of the therapy is therefore to reduce the number of leukaemia cells so that the potentially fatal complications can be avoided. Since 2001, so-called “tyrosine kinase inhibitors” such as imatinib, nilotinib or dasatinib have been approved in Germany.
These complicated names conceal novel drugs which, simply put, can suppress the malignant leukaemia cells. In contrast to conventional chemotherapy, these drugs intervene directly at the site of origin of CML and thus prevent the new development of degenerated cancer cells. In the meantime, the introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors can be regarded as a real medical revolution.
Previously, chronic myeloid leukaemia was regarded as a disease that was difficult to treat and led to death within a few years. In contrast, patients today can lead a largely normal life. With early, optimal and consistent therapy, it is now possible to achieve an almost normal life expectancy in some cases.
Of great importance for the prognosis is not only a timely diagnosis, but above all the strict and continuous taking of the medication. Doctors who treat patients check meaningful laboratory parameters at regular intervals so that they can intervene quickly in an emergency. Current studies also deal with the question of whether it is even possible to completely “displace” the disease.
If this is the case, affected patients could, at least for a certain period of time, stop taking the medication completely. If modern therapies still do not work and CML progresses, a bone marrow transplantation might be able to offer a chance of cure. Nevertheless, the risk of this dangerous intervention should not be underestimated. These articles may be of interest to you
- Targeted chemotherapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitor
- The tyrosine kinase
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