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Leukemia (2003) 17, 1448–1453. doi:10.1038/sj.leu.2402996

Prognostic factors for patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia in chronic phase treated with imatinib mesylate after failure of interferon alfa

D Marin1, S Marktel1, M Bua1, R M Szydlo1, A Franceschino1, I Nathan1, N Foot1, C Crawley1, T Na Nakorn1, E Olavarria1, A Lennard2, A Neylon2, S G O'Brien2, J M Goldman1 and J F Apperley1

  1. 1Department of Haematology, Imperial College London at Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK
  2. 2Department of Haematology, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle, UK

Correspondence: Professor JM Goldman, Department of Haematology, Imperial College London at Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK. Fax: +44 20 8749 2748

Received 17 December 2002; Accepted 25 March 2003.

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Abstract

We assessed clinical results in 145 patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia in chronic phase who satisfied criteria for interferon-alpha failure and were thus eligible for treatment with imatinib at the Hammersmith Hospital. We used univariate and multivariate analyses to develop a risk score based on features defined after treatment for 3 months. We identified a low neutrophil count and poor cytogenetic response (<35% Ph-negative marrow metaphases) at 3 months as principal independent predictive factors and incorporated them into a three-tier prognostic scoring system for individual patients. For patients in the low-, intermediate- and high-risk groups, the probabilities of survival at 24 months were 100, 82 and 40% (P<0.0001) and progression-free survival 100, 66 and 15% (P<0.0001), respectively. This Hammersmith prognostic scoring system was validated with an independent cohort of patients treated at another UK centre.

Keywords:

chronic myeloid leukaemia, imatinib mesylate, cytogenetic response, neutropenia, prognostic factors

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