Optimizing Management of Patients with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia: Therapeutic Strategies Making A Difference

 

Estimated Time To Complete This Activity: 1.0 hour

This activity is intended for hematologists/oncologists who treat or manage patients with CML. A secondary audience is oncology nurses, oncology nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and oncology pharmacists.

 

Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is a clonal myeloproliferative disorder of the hematopoietic stem cells. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have revolutionized the treatment of CML by effectively targeting the BCR-ABL oncogenic kinase. Many questions remain regarding the use of first, second, and third generation TKI agents in the management of CML and how to best utilize these available treatments in the front and second line settings, through combination approaches and through maintenance therapy options. Further, despite their profound activity, a substantial proportion of CML patients develop intolerance to therapy or resistant disease. The optimal choice of treatment for patients with CML represents an area of uncertainty among clinicians. The advent of mutational testing and analysis has opened the gateway toward more individualized treatment and offers clinicians with insights regarding appropriate therapeutic choices for certain patients.  It is now imperative that clinicians treating CML patients understand how to utilize this information to monitor for disease response, identify optimal timing and need for switching therapies, and communicate the importance of the patient’s role in compliant treatment to maximize clinical benefit.

The "Conflict of Interest Disclosure Policy" of Albert Einstein College of Medicine requires that faculty participating in any CME activity disclose to the audience any relationship(s) with a pharmaceutical or equipment company. Any presenter whose disclosed relationships prove to create a conflict of interest, with regard to their contribution to the activity, will not be permitted to present.

 

The Albert Einstein College of Medicine also requires that faculty participating in any CME activity disclose to the audience when discussing any unlabeled or investigational use of any commercial product, or device, not yet approved for use in the United States.
 

The CCME staff of Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University has no conflicts of interest with commercial interests related directly or indirectly to this educational activity.

The following AXIS planners and managers reported the following financial relationships or relationships to products or devices they or their spouse/life partner have with commercial interests related to the content of this CME activity: Linda Gracie-King, MS, Jocelyn Timko, BS, Diedrea White, BA, Deborah Middleton, MS, and Timothy DiChara, PhD hereby state that they or their spouse/life partner do not have any financial relationships or relationships to products or devices with any commercial interest related to the content of this activity of any amount during the past 12 months.

The faculty reported the following financial relationships or relationships to products or devices they or their spouse/life partner have with commercial interests related to the content of this CME activity:

Jerald P. Radich, MD reported a financial interest/relationship or affiliation in the form of: Grants/Research Funding: Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation

Consultant: Ariad Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation.

 

Dr. Radich has indicated that his relationships will not impact his ability to author an unbiased presentation.

 

Amit Verma, MD reported a financial interest/relationship or affiliation in the form of:

Speakers’ Bureau: Celgene

 

The faculty have indicated that this enduring material does not include the unlabeled/investigational use of a commercial product or device.

The opinions and recommendations expressed by faculty in this activity are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, Montefiore Medical Center, AXIS Medical Education or RealCME.

Participants are advised to consult prescribing information for all specific drugs or combination of drugs, including indications, contraindications, warnings, and adverse effects, before administering pharmacologic therapy to patients.

 

There are no fees for participating in and receiving credit for this activity. The participant must read the learning objectives, faculty disclosures and enduring material, and must answer the multiple-choice online post-test, and evaluation form which provides each participant with the opportunity to comment on the quality of the instructional process, the perception of enhanced professional effectiveness, the perception of commercial bias, and his/her views on future educational needs.

Upon successful completion of the post-test with a passing grade of 70%, and the evaluation, physicians will receive CME credit and all other healthcare professionals will receive a certificate of participation. A certificate will be available to print from your user history page.

 

 

 

Copyright © 2014 Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. All rights reserved. No part of this material may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations.