Milestones In Treatment Of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia.

In the previous two posts, we saw the history of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)  with regards to clinical features and laboratory findings. This post is about the progress been made in the treatment of CML over years.

Year	Drug
1865	German physician named Lissauer gave Fowler’s solution (1% solution of arsenic trioxide) to a woman with chronic leukemia in 1865. There was an obvious amelioration in her condition which lasted for some months.
	Cutler and Bradford at Boston City Hospital, were the first to study scientifically the effects of arsenic on blood in health and disease.
1882	Sir Arthur Conan Doyle used iron and quinine but not any improvements
1882	Sir Arthur Conan Doyle then used arsenic in large doses with the iodide and chlorate of potash which proved to be efficacious
1912	Benzene was also used by German physicians. Von Koranyi was the first to use Benzene therapeutically.
1953	Busulphan.  Busulphan, sometimes combined with 6-thioguanine, was the mainstay of treatment for next 35 years.
1964	Hydroxyurea
1978	Allogeneic stem cell transplant
1983	Interferon alpha
2002	Imatinib
2006	Dasatinib
2007	Nilotinib
2012	Bosutinib & ponatinib

 

References:

1.     The story of chronic myeloid leukaemia. British Journal of Haematology.2000:110; 2- 11

2.    The leukaemic stem cells: similarities, differences and clinical prospects in CML and AML. Nature reviews. January 2020.

                                                      

                                                                           Written by Dr.Priyavadhana.