All people with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) will be offered treatment to control the disease regardless of the phase at diagnosis. The type of treatment will depend on how far the leukaemia has progressed and your health. Some treatments are offered through clinical trials.
Learn more about:
- The main aim of treatment
- Making treatment decisions
- Targeted therapy
- Chemotherapy
- Other treatments
- Palliative treatment
The main aim of treatment
The main aim of treatment is to achieve long-term control of the CML so the signs of the disease reduce or disappear. This is known as remission. Another goal is to stop the CML from progressing to a more advanced phase.
The initial treatment of the leukaemia is known as first-line treatment. In the majority of cases, you’ll need to continue this treatment for life. Your specialist will check your blood regularly to confirm that the leukaemia is still responding to treatment.
If the treatment stops working, you will be offered second-line treatment. Sometimes if you respond very well to treatment, the specialist may say you can stop treatment. If CML starts to come back, you will begin treatment again.
→ READ MORE: Making treatment decisions for CML
Podcast: Making Treatment Decisions
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Key resource
Download a PDF booklet on this topic.
More resources
Dr Chun Kei Kris Ma, Clinical Haematologist, Western Sydney Local Health District (clinical update); Delphine Eggen, Consumer; Dr Robin Gasiorowski, Staff Specialist, Haematology, Concord Hospital; Karl A Jobburn, Haematology Clinical Nurse Consultant, Liverpool Hospital; Yvonne King, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council NSW; Heather Mackay, Clinical Nurse Consultant, Westmead Hospital; Jennifer Paton, Consumer.
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