Optimizing Outcomes for Patients With Advanced Disease in Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia: A CME Certified Journal Supplement

Article Outline

• Statement of Need
• Target Audience
• Learning Objectives
• Core Competencies
• Accreditation Statement
• Designation Statement
• Commercial Supporter
• Disclosure Summary
• Faculty

Release Date: February 29, 2008

Expiration Date: February 28, 2009

Estimated time to complete activity: 1 hour

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Statement of Need 

Less than a decade ago the median survival of patients with chronic phase myelogenous leukemia was 3 to 5 years. The introduction of imatinib mesylate, a selective inhibitor of the BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase, has radically changed the treatment paradigm, and consequently the prognosis, for patients with CML. Long-term follow-up data from the IRIS study, which compared imatinib mesylate therapy with interferon-α + ara-C in newly diagnosed patients with CML, has reported that 90% of patients remained alive at 54 months.

The understanding of the mechanism of action of imatinib mesylate combined with the fact that BCR-ABL signaling remains a significant driver of even imatinib mesylate-resistant CML has led to the development of novel BCR-ABL inhibitors. Similarly, advances in our knowledge of the molecular aspects of BCR-ABL mutations are providing physicians with more insight into of the underlying pathophysiology of individual patients with CML. As these new agents and diagnostic techniques become more widely available, questions about the optimal management of patients with suboptimal responses and resistance will become more complex. As such, it is important that hematologists and medical oncologists are aware of emerging data with the purpose of making informed decisions about how best to care for patients with CML.

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Target Audience 

The target audience for this activity will include medical oncologists, hematologists, hematologist/oncologists, and other health care providers who manage and treat patience with CML.

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Learning Objectives 

At the conclusion of this activity participants should be better able to:

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Core Competencies 

This CME activity will assist physicians in addressing the ACGME core competencies of patient care and medical knowledge.

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Accreditation Statement 

education|outcomes|science is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

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Designation Statement 

The education|outcomes|science designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit^™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

This activity is provided free of charge to participants.

To receive credit, practitioners must participate in the activity and complete the post-test evaluation form and certificate request form.

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Commercial Supporter 

Provided by:

Supported by an educational grant from

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Disclosure Summary 

education|outcomes|science is a CME provider accredited by the ACCME. In compliance with the Standards for Commercial Support, it is our policy to require everyone who is in a position to control the content of an educational activity to disclose all relevant financial relationships with any commercial interest occurring within the 12 months prior to an activity’s release date.

Faculty for this activity reported the following:

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Faculty 

The staff of education|outcomes|science involved with this activity have reported no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests.

Among methods we use to resolve the potential for conflicts of interest in our activities are the signing of the AMA Attestation Form by all planners and faculty, input from learners through an evaluation form pertaining to perception of commercial bias, and the use of independent content reviewers. This educational content was fully peer-reviewed by an independent content reviewer who has nothing to disclose. Through identifying potential conflicts of interest and instituting a resolution process, education|outcomes|science strives to provide educational content that is based on the best available evidence, is scientifically rigorous, and is fair-balanced in regard to discussions of pharmaceutical products or devices in all of our independent certified activities.

This activity includes discussions about the off-label/investigational uses of pharmacologic agents and/or devices that are outside current FDA-approved labeling. Specifically, the following off-label, experimental and/or investigational uses of drugs/devices will be discussed:

The opinions expressed in this activity are those of the faculty and do not necessarily reflect those of education|outcomes|science.

This CE activity is provided by education|outcomes|science solely for educational purposes. Specific patient care decisions are the responsibility of the clinician caring for the patient.