Current management of CML patients: Summary of the Italian Consensus Meeting held in Rome, April 11-12, 2013

Treatment of Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML) has evolved rapidly in the last 10 years. The objectives of this national consensus meeting were to describe the optimal procedures to perform at diagnosis, the most appropriate choice of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) in the first line setting, the correct monitoring procedures, the appropriate timing for resistance identification allowing a rapid TKI switch, and the future possibility of treatment discontinuation. A panel of experts in CML management were invited for a 2-day workshop. Prior to the conference, the organizing committee selected several topics and assigned them to different physicians divided in four groups. Issues discussed were (1) role of cytogenetic and molecular response monitoring in 2013; (2) frontline treatment of CML in 2013 and therapeutic objectives; (3) how to monitor response and when to change therapy after resistance or non-optimal responses; (4) possible therapy discontinuation after achievement of deep and stable molecular responses. Different national experts reviewed the literature, analyzed levels of evidence for each topic and, after extensive discussions within smaller working groups, presented their conclusions during the meeting. Each consensus aim was then evaluated by a general vote in the plenary sessions