Leukemia Patients Taking Gleevec Achieve 'Normal' Death Rate - Study Finds

[Guest guest]

Leukemia Patients Taking Gleevec Achieve 'Normal' Death Rate

Study finds they die no faster than people in the general population

-- PreidtTUESDAY, March 22 (HealthDay News) -- The death rate of patients

with chronic myeloid leukemia who took Gleevec and were in remission two years

after treatment was similar to the death rate in the general population, a new

study shows.

Italian researchers collected data on 832 patients who were taking Gleevec

(imatinib) for up to eight years and found that 20 patients died during the

follow-up period. That death rate of 4.8 percent, however, is similar to what

would be expected in the general population.

 

Only six deaths were related to chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), the researchers

noted.

Serious adverse events such as cardiovascular and digestive problems were

reported in 139 patents, but only 27 cases (19 percent) were considered to be

related to Gleevec, according to the study.

 

Other adverse events frequently connected to Gleevec included muscle cramps,

weakness, edema, skin fragility, diarrhea, and tendon or ligament lesions.

Nineteen patients (2.3 percent) stopped taking Gleevec due to side effects, with

half switching to another drug.

Patients taking Gleevec " frequently suffer from side effects that are

non-serious but can nonetheless reduce their quality of life, " the researchers

wrote.

 

The study authors disclosed no conflicts of interest, noting that their

independence from pharmaceutical interests was a major strength of the study.

 

The researchers also noted the " importance of a good patient-provider

relationship, in which side effects are easily communicated and addressed to

reduce/avoid non-compliance. "

In an accompanying editorial, Dr. B. of the Sidney Kimmel

Comprehensive Cancer Center at s Hopkins in Baltimore, noted " the astounding

effect [imatinib] has had on the clinical course of this disease. "

 

However, he wrote that many patients in the study had been treated first with

interferon, which may have been a factor in their remissions. For this reason,

he concluded, " a careful analysis of the two groups " -- patients who had taken

interferon and those who had not -- " might help shed light on this issue. "

 

The study appears online March 22 in the Journal of the National Cancer

Institute.

 

[Guest guest]

Fascinating!

On Wed, Mar 23, 2011 at 5:37 AM, Wayne Mielke <tinman1939new@...>wrote:

>

>

> Leukemia Patients Taking Gleevec Achieve 'Normal' Death Rate

> Study finds they die no faster than people in the general population

> -- PreidtTUESDAY, March 22 (HealthDay News) -- The death rate of

> patients with chronic myeloid leukemia who took Gleevec and were in

> remission two years after treatment was similar to the death rate in the

> general population, a new study shows.

> Italian researchers collected data on 832 patients who were taking Gleevec

> (imatinib) for up to eight years and found that 20 patients died during the

> follow-up period. That death rate of 4.8 percent, however, is similar to

> what would be expected in the general population.

>

> Only six deaths were related to chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), the

> researchers noted.

> Serious adverse events such as cardiovascular and digestive problems were

> reported in 139 patents, but only 27 cases (19 percent) were considered to

> be related to Gleevec, according to the study.

>

> Other adverse events frequently connected to Gleevec included muscle

> cramps, weakness, edema, skin fragility, diarrhea, and tendon or ligament

> lesions. Nineteen patients (2.3 percent) stopped taking Gleevec due to side

> effects, with half switching to another drug.

> Patients taking Gleevec " frequently suffer from side effects that are

> non-serious but can nonetheless reduce their quality of life, " the

> researchers wrote.

>

> The study authors disclosed no conflicts of interest, noting that their

> independence from pharmaceutical interests was a major strength of the

> study.

>

> The researchers also noted the " importance of a good patient-provider

> relationship, in which side effects are easily communicated and addressed to

> reduce/avoid non-compliance. "

> In an accompanying editorial, Dr. B. of the Sidney Kimmel

> Comprehensive Cancer Center at s Hopkins in Baltimore, noted " the

> astounding effect [imatinib] has had on the clinical course of this

> disease. "

>

> However, he wrote that many patients in the study had been treated first

> with interferon, which may have been a factor in their remissions. For this

> reason, he concluded, " a careful analysis of the two groups " -- patients who

> had taken interferon and those who had not -- " might help shed light on this

> issue. "

>

> The study appears online March 22 in the Journal of the National Cancer

> Institute.

>

>

>