Assessment of Imatinib in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia in Gabon: a cohort of 17 cases.

The prognosis for chronic myeloid leukemia, the first hematologic malignancy for which successful targeted therapy has been developed, has changed markedly in the West. In developing countries, however, prognosis remains poor, mainly because of lack of access to treatment. The effort made by some nongovernmental organizations to distribute first-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors free of charge has changed this situation in some regions, notably in sub-Saharan Africa and Gabon in particular. We report the results in a cohort of 17 patients.