1. ¹Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation Service, Hospital das Clinicas da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
2. ²Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation Service, Hospital de Clinicas da Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
3. ³Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation Service, Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil

Correspondence: Professor H Bittencourt, Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation Service, Hospital das Clinicas da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Avenida Professor Alfredo Balena, 110–9 Andar Leste, Belo Horizonte CEP 30130-100, Brazil. E-mail: hebit@terra.com.br

Received 3 March 2008; Revised 19 May 2008; Accepted 22 June 2008; Published online 4 August 2008.

Abstract

Imatinib mesylate (IM) is now first-line treatment for CML. To study the results of treatment with IM after IFN failure/intolerance versus allogeneic BMT (allo-BMT), we retrospectively analyzed 264 patients treated for CML in first chronic phase in three different institutions. Over a 6-year period (2001–2006), 174 patients received IM after failure of or intolerance to IFN. During the same period of time, 90 patients received an allo-BMT from an HLA-matched sibling (n=83) or an unrelated donor (n=7). The IM group was older (41 versus 33 years, P<0.001). Five-year EFS was 62% among patients receiving IM and 52% among patients undergoing allo-BMT (P=0.0002). OS at 5 years was 93% for IM-treated patients and 59% for patients undergoing allo-BMT (P<0.0001). Allo-BMT cannot be considered as first-line treatment for CML patients in first chronic phase.