ABSTRACT
GENERAL PRINCIPLES Since the introduction of imatinib, the “fi rst generation,” or the “ original” tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), into the clinic in 1998, the drug has become the preferred treatment for the majority, if not all, newly diagnosed patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in chronic phase (CP), except perhaps for children. Imatinib reduces substantially the number of CML cells in a patient’s body, resulting in a complete hematologic response (CHR) in almost all such patients and a complete cytogenetic response (CCyR) in the vast majority (Fig. 5.1).
