anybody here who is in blast phase already? what kind of treatment you are undergoing?
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CML Blast Crisis
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Hi Josie,
Blast phase CML is a very difficult disease to treat... sometimes dasatinib is used, but this might not control the disease. High dose chemotherapy is used to get control of the blast cell population and return the CML to chronic phase for a time until an HLA matched stem cell donor can be identified. Then hopefully a stem cell transplant will be successful for the long term. It is a very difficult journey though - CML in blast phase behave like an acute leukaemia such as AML.
Hope this is helpful
Sandy
I was diagnosed ac/blast in 12/2014. 94,000 WBC, 42 PCR, but spleen was normal as well as other blood work. Hospitalized for two days and back to work next day. Strange thing, WBC count dropped naturally prior treatment. On 600mg Gleevec since. Hit all the milestones. BMB at 6 months, zero blasts. No drug side effects, MMR since 12/2015. Life is great.
Did you have your blast cell count at diagnosis. I would venture that you were in accelerated rather than blast phase - which is over 30% blast cells in peripheral blood or marrow- although some clinical specialists now say over 20% is blast phase.
Sandy
I admit, I was a weird specimen. They were a bit perplexed. I could have jogged around the hospital if they let me. Most importantly I was told “ relax, you won’t die from this.” Two weeks into treatment and WBC was 1500, I thought I was cured. Wrong. Regardless, I’m on record as blast phase. Great news at 6 months. BMB was no blasts, no abnormalities and .2 PCR. I have read about blast phase and it scared the hell out of me. I will no longer read about it, but wanted to share my story. I have had discussions on dose reduction but onc says if the med. doesn’t bother you and the results are great leave well enough alone. I agree with that. I hang quarterly around .04/.02 PCR for better than a year now. I have full confidence in my Dr. follow his directions to the letter and now feel no different, in some regards better than before all this. Have not even had a cold. Still get nervous at follow-up but am working on it. I can’t tell you how wonderful it was to be told “ go home, take a pill everyday and no need to miss work.” When discharged I got dressed and headed for the car. Left the wife to do the paperwork. It was my first and hopefully last time in the hospital. By the way, I will be 60 this year.