1.Insights into Treatment‑Free Remission (TFR) outcomes in Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML) – a tertiary centre experience in Malaysia
Christopher Chin Keong LIAM ; Yang Liang BOO ; Li Min LIM ; Siew Lian CHONG ; Azizan SHARIF ; Yih Seong WONG ; Veena SELVARATNAM ; Sen Mui TAN ; Soo Min LIM
Blood Research 2025;60():64-
Purpose:
Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have improved the prognosis of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), allowing patients with favourable disease profiles and molecular responses to attempt treatment-free remission (TFR). We aim to establish the relapse-free survival (RFS) outcomes and identify prognostic factors for successful remission maintenance among those who attempt TFR.
Methods:
Adult CML patients who had undergone TFR from January 1, 2016, to June 30, 2024, were included. Upon TKI discontinuation, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RQ-PCR) was monitored monthly for the first 12 months, then every 3 months, with TKI reinitiated upon a transcript level above 0.1% (IS). Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 29.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).
Results:
Fifty-seven patients (27 males and 30 females) with a median age of 46 years (range 16 – 70) were analysed.The majority had a low EUTOS long-term survival (ELTS) score (61.4%, n = 35) and received imatinib (87.7%, n = 50).The median treatment duration was 8.8 years (range 4.2 – 18.8), and the median duration for sustained deep molecular remission (DMR) was 4.6 years (range 2.1 – 11.1). RFS was 70.2% at 6 months, 62.5% at 12 months and 56.8% at 2 years after a median follow-up of 34 months (range 9 – 101). The MR5 level was identified as an independent factor associated with sustained remission. All relapsed patients achieved DMR upon treatment reinitiation.
Conclusion
Treatment discontinuation can be safely performed, with many achieving long-term treatment-free remission. A deeper molecular response (MR5) is associated with an improved likelihood of remission maintenance.

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