The groundbreaking introduction of the tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) imatinib as a treatment for chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) has been followed by the introduction of further second and third generation TKIs. The panel discuss how TKIs act, the effect they have on patients in terms of their benefit and their toxicity profile, the importance of patients strictly complying with treatment regimens and consider the possibility of a cure for CML.A number of second and third generation TKIs have emerged in recent clinical trials and the panel explain why there has been such a need to develop numerous drugs to combat CML and consider what factors clinicians and patients should take into account when deciding which treatment to adopt.