NCCN and ELN: What do the guidelines tell us?

The prognosis for patients with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia is vastly different in 2016 compared to 20 years ago, and this is due to the development of BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). As newer, more potent, TKIs have been developed and approved over the past 15 years, the decision about which drug to use as first line therapy, and when to switch treatment in particular patients has become more complicated. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) and the European LeukemiaNet (ELN) have developed treatment and monitoring guidelines to aide in the management of these patients. The guidelines were developed by two groups of CML experts and recommendations are based on available data and expert opinion. With adherence to the recommendations proposed by the NCCN and ELN, we can expect to continue to see excellent outcomes for our patients with CML.