Supporting Susan's reply, this is a question that you should be asking your physician. We do not know your medical history nor the these specifics of your condition and current treatment
I can offer general information.
BCR-ABL is an abnormal gene found in most people with chronic myelogenous leukemia(CML) and in some people with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The BCR-ABL gene is created when two different genes join together that normally aren't connected. Monitoring how active the BCR-ABL gene is can tell you if certain treatments are working to control your leukemia.
Thinking logically, if in your case, the BCR-ABL level is at 97%, current treatment is not controlling your leukemia. But, I must stress, this is something your physician must confirm.
You asked about glivec. The correct name is Gleevec.
Once a Philadelphia chromosome, which is another name for the BCR-ABL gene, is diagnosed in someone with CML or ALL, the first treatment is usually a drug called imatinib (Gleevec®). Imatinib is a "targeted" therapy that directly blocks the specific protein that is made by the BCR-ABL gene. This leads to lower numbers of abnormal white blood cells so healthy cells can survive.
Imatinib is very effective and has been shown repeatedly to work better for most people than older medications like interferon. About two-thirds of people with CML responded well to imatinib within 12 months of treatment. After 5 years of treatment almost 90% of people with CML had reduced BCR-ABL activity. A few people, about 5% to10%, don't respond to imatinib or become resistant to it. These people can take dasatinib (Sprycel®) or nilotinib (Tasigna®), which are similar drugs. This group of drugs are called tyrosine kinase inhibitors.
I hope this information is helpful and will guide you in having a conversation with your physician about your condition and treatment options.
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Hello Arshad Khan,
Supporting Susan's reply, this is a question that you should be asking your physician. We do not know your medical history nor the these specifics of your condition and current treatment
I can offer general information.
BCR-ABL is an abnormal gene found in most people with chronic myelogenous leukemia(CML) and in some people with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The BCR-ABL gene is created when two different genes join together that normally aren't connected. Monitoring how active the BCR-ABL gene is can tell you if certain treatments are working to control your leukemia.
Thinking logically, if in your case, the BCR-ABL level is at 97%, current treatment is not controlling your leukemia. But, I must stress, this is something your physician must confirm.
You asked about glivec. The correct name is Gleevec.
Once a Philadelphia chromosome, which is another name for the BCR-ABL gene, is diagnosed in someone with CML or ALL, the first treatment is usually a drug called imatinib (Gleevec®). Imatinib is a "targeted" therapy that directly blocks the specific protein that is made by the BCR-ABL gene. This leads to lower numbers of abnormal white blood cells so healthy cells can survive.
Imatinib is very effective and has been shown repeatedly to work better for most people than older medications like interferon. About two-thirds of people with CML responded well to imatinib within 12 months of treatment. After 5 years of treatment almost 90% of people with CML had reduced BCR-ABL activity. A few people, about 5% to10%, don't respond to imatinib or become resistant to it. These people can take dasatinib (Sprycel®) or nilotinib (Tasigna®), which are similar drugs. This group of drugs are called tyrosine kinase inhibitors.
I hope this information is helpful and will guide you in having a conversation with your physician about your condition and treatment options.
Maryann
December 18, 2012 - 5:37pmThis Comment
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