Therapeutic efficacy of imatinib mesilate (glivec) in a chronic phase of myeloid leukemia

Aim. To evaluate efficacy and tolerance of glivek in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in patients who failed interferon-alpha (If-a) preparations. Material and methods. 79 patients in a chronic phase of Ph+CML with hematological and cytogenetic resistance or intolerance of If-a. The response to glivec was assessed by achievement of a complete hematological remission and the cytogenetic effect (the degree of reduction of cell clone Ph+ in bone marrow). Tolerance and safety of the drug was studied by monthly standard clinicohematological tests. Results. Not only a hematological remission (92.4%), but also partial (46.8%) or complete (27.8%) elimination of BCR-ABL+/-cells were achieved after 12 months of the treatment. Glivec was well tolerated. Hematological toxicity primarily as neutropenia and thrombocytopenia were observed in 54.4 and 42% patients, respectively. Neutropenia of the third degree which made impossible to continue the treatment was observed in 29.1% patients; throbocytopenia of the third degree was registered in 16.5% patients. Among most frequent non-hematological side effects there were moderate edema, nausea, leg muscle convulsions, weight gain, arthralgias, skin eruption. All the complications were transient, were managed in all cases with only a short-time discontinuation of glivec therapy. Conclusion. High activity of glivec at early stages of CML allows using this drug as a first-line therapy inpatients with CML.