Purpose of review: Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is rare in children, requiring extrapolation from treatment of adults. In this review, we explore similarities and differences between adult and pediatric CML with a focus on therapeutic advances and emerging clinical questions.
Recent findings: Pediatric CML is effectively treated with long-term targeted therapy using tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Newly diagnosed pediatric patients in chronic phase can now be treated with imatinib, dasatinib, or nilotinib without allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. While treatment-free remission is possible in adults in chronic phase with optimal response to therapy, data are currently insufficient to support stopping TKI in pediatrics outside of a clinical trial. Knowledge gaps remain regarding long-term and late effects of TKIs in pediatric CML. Targeted therapy has markedly improved outcomes for pediatric CML, while raising a number of clinical questions, including the possibility of treatment-free remission and long-term health implications of prolonged TKI exposure at a young age.
Keywords: BCR-ABL; Childhood CML; Chronic myelogenous leukemia; Chronic myeloid leukemia; Pediatric CML; Targeted biologic therapy; Tyrosine kinase inhibitor.