Drug treatment or stem cell transplantation as primary treatment for patients with CML

7028 Background: Early allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) has been proposed as primary treatment modality for patients (pts) with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). This concept has been challenged by persisting transplantation mortality and improved drug therapy. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was designed to compare primary SCT and best available drug treatment in 621 newly diagnosed CML pts in chronic phase (CP). Assignment to treatment strategy was by eligibility for SCT and genetic randomization according to availability of a matched related donor (MRD). 354 pts (62% male; median age 40 (11–59) years) were eligible and randomized. 135 pts (38%) had a MRD of which 123 (91%) received a transplant within a median of 10 (2–106) months from diagnosis. 4 pts died before scheduled SCT, 8 pts withdrew consent. 219 pts (62%) had no MRD and received drug therapy. Of these, 97 pts (44%) received a matched unrelated donor (MUD) transplant in 1st CP and were censored at the time of SCT. As 1st line d...