In a nutshell
This study looked at the effectiveness of chemotherapy combined with imatinib (Glivec) in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in patients with abnormal genes. Researchers found that this treatment was effective in this group of patients.
Some background
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is a type of bone marrow cancer. This leads to abnormal immune cells. Patients with ALL may have a genetic abnormality called Philadelphia chromosome (Ph+). This makes the prognosis of the disease poorer. ALL is often treated with drugs that target specific proteins on cancer cells, such as imatinib. It is important to research the effectiveness of these medications.
Methods & findings
Ninety-nine patients with Ph+ALL were included in this study. They were treated with chemotherapy combined with imatinib. They were compared with patients who received chemotherapy without combining imatinib. Patients were followed up for an average of 4.5 years.
96 out of 99 patients (97%) had no signs of cancer after treatment (complete response). This response rate was higher compared to the non-imatinib group (69%). 59 of these 96 patients (61%) had a stem cell transplant.
Overall survival after 5 years was 50% in the imatinib group and 15% in the non-imatinib group. Survival without signs of disease after 5 years was 43% in the imatinib group and 19% in the non-imatinib group.
Side effects were similar to conventional chemotherapy and consisted of nausea, a weak immune system, and bowel obstruction.
The bottom line
The study concluded that combining chemotherapy with imatinib is an effective treatment plan for patients with ALL and abnormal genes.
The fine print
This study included a small number of patients. Also, there were different chemotherapy regimens used in the included patients.
Published By :
Annals of Hematology
Date :
Sep 01, 2018
