Advice to Community Oncologists Treating Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

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07/08/23

Gabriela S. Hobbs, MD, clinical director of the Leukemia Service and assistant in medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, shares her advice for a community oncologist treating a patient with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).

Hobbs says it is important to understand that while patients with CML seem fine, they are still sick and require the same amount of effort as other patients. These patients can have a near-normal life expectancy, but they still need to be monitored according to the recommendations from the NCCN or ELN Guidelines.

There should be frequent and appropriate follow-ups of polymerase chain reactions, as well. Hobbs stresses the importance of this in order for patients with CML to have a normal or near-normal life expectancy.

For more resources and information regarding anticancer targeted therapies in hematology: http://targetedonc.com/resource-center/hematology