Dr. Patterson Discusses the Use of TKIs in Pediatric CML

Briana Patterson, MD, assistant professor, Division of Endocrinology, Aflac Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, discusses the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in the treatment of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).

Since the early 2000s when TKIs were first approved for use in children with cancer, imatinib (Gleevec) has been extensively used in pediatric CML, says Patterson. In the last year, dasatinib (Sprycel) and nilotinib (Tasigna) have been approved for pediatric CML. Patterson says that these TKIs are considered first-line agents for the treatment of chronic phase CML.

There is uncertainty as to whether children who have more acute presentations of CML or have other treatment considerations should receive a TKI or go straight to transplant. Patterson says that the oncologist must make that decision. As for children with chronic phase CML, a first- or second-generation TKI should be the treatment of choice.