Mark Levis, MD, PhD, Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, discusses the use of targeted agents to prevent relapse post-transplantation. Several lines of evidence have indicated that targeted therapy is not effective for this purpose. In addition, the long-term toxicity of targeted agents used for maintenance therapy is unknown. Dr Levis comments on the use of FLT3 inhibitors, which have been shown to improve long-term survival for patients with FLT3-mutated acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and discusses a randomized study which is currently investigating the effects of treatment with FLT3 inhibitors versus placebo, with the aim of identifying patients at a greater risk of relapse, and thus at a greater need of maintenance therapy. This interview took place at the 2021 Relapse After HSCT² Workshop in New York, NY.
