Imatinib mesylate (IM) has become the first-line therapy for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is increasingly chosen as salvage therapy for patients who are intolerant of IM, fail to achieve a complete cytogenetic response (CCR) or relapse. The first part of this review will discuss the effect of prior exposure to IM on transplant outcomes and the impact of a poor or a loss of response at the time of transplantation on post-transplantation survival of patients who underwent transplantation in a chronic phase (CP). The second part will discuss the management of relapse disease after transplant. Donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) has become the treatment of choice for patients who relapse. The response to DLI is dose-dependent and the effective cell dose is influenced by the quantity and phase of CML at relapse and degree of donor/recipient histocompatibility. IM is now an alternative to DLI as it can be used to achieve remission without graft-versus-host disease and may be effective when DLI has failed. It can also be used in combination with lower doses of DLI to maximize responses. IM is safe and well tolerated in combination with DLI, patients achieve molecular response more rapidly, are able to stop IM without recurrence of molecular disease and this treatment has a higher disease free survival rate after transplantation.
Imatinib mesylate; chronic myeloid leukemia; allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation; donor lymphocyte infusion; relapse