How are chronic myelogenous leukemias treated?

How are chronic myelogenous leukemias treated?

Noam Z. Drazin (Hematologist & Oncologist, Cedars-Sinai Medical Group) gives expert video advice on: Can my leukemia be treated with surgery?; Can leukemia be treated with a bone marrow transplant?; How can I keep my leukemia from coming back? and more...

The treatment of chronic myelogenous leukaemia has changed drastically and dramatically in the past seven to ten years. The standard type of therapy for this disease used to be a combination of Interferon and other types of chemotherapy which changed completely with the introduction of a drug called Gleevec or Imatinib which was the first targeted therapy against the particular chromosomal abnormality in CML. This drug was designed and manufactured to block this particular abnormal genetic event or genetic defect. As a result of the introduction of this medication, we have now been able in most cases to either put this disease into remission or turn a disease like chronic myelogenous leukaemia into a chronic disease that doesn't lead to anything worse.