@article{Gabriel Etienne_Stéphanie Dulucq_Franck-Emmanuel Nicolini_Stéphane Morisset_Marie-Pierre Fort_Anna Schmitt_Madeleine Etienne_Sandrine Hayette_Eric Lippert_Caroline Bureau_Isabelle Tigaud_Didier Adiko_Gérald Marit_Josy Reiffers_François-Xavier Mahon_2014, place={Pavia, Italy}, title={Achieving deeper molecular response is associated with a better clinical outcome in chronic myeloid leukemia patients on imatinib front-line therapy}, volume={99}, url={https://haematologica.org/article/view/6961}, DOI={10.3324/haematol.2013.095158}, abstractNote={Sustained imatinib treatment in chronic myeloid leukemia patients can result in complete molecular response allowing discontinuation without relapse. We set out to evaluate the frequency of complete molecular response in imatinib <em>de novo</em> chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia patients, to identify base-line and under-treatment predictive factors of complete molecular response in patients achieving complete cytogenetic response, and to assess if complete molecular response is associated with a better outcome. A random selection of patients on front-line imatinib therapy (n=266) were considered for inclusion. Complete molecular response was confirmed and defined as MR 4.5 with undetectable BCR-ABL transcript levels. Median follow up was 4.43 years (range 0.79–10.8 years). Sixty-five patients (24%) achieved complete molecular response within a median time of 32.7 months. Absence of spleen enlargement at diagnosis, achieving complete cytogenetic response before 12 months of therapy, and major molecular response during the year following complete cytogenetic response was predictive of achieving further complete molecular response. Patients who achieved complete molecular response had better event-free and failure-free survivals than those with complete cytogenetic response irrespective of major molecular response status (95.2% <em>vs.</em> 64.7% <em>vs.</em> 27.7%, <em>P</em>=0.00124; 98.4% <em>vs</em>. 82.3% <em>vs.</em> 56%, <em>P</em&gt;=0.0335), respectively. Overall survival was identical in the 3 groups. In addition to complete cytogenetic response and major molecular response, further deeper molecular response is associated with better event-free and failure-free survivals, and complete molecular response confers the best outcome.}, number={3}, journal={Haematologica}, author={Gabriel Etienne and Stéphanie Dulucq and Franck-Emmanuel Nicolini and Stéphane Morisset and Marie-Pierre Fort and Anna Schmitt and Madeleine Etienne and Sandrine Hayette and Eric Lippert and Caroline Bureau and Isabelle Tigaud and Didier Adiko and Gérald Marit and Josy Reiffers and François-Xavier Mahon}, year={2014}, month={Mar.}, pages={458-464} }