Survival and risk factors of developing lung fluid in patients with leukemia treated with dasatinib

This study looked at the risk and outcomes of fluid build-up around the lungs in patients with leukemia receiving dasatinib (Sprycel) treatment. The study found that age was a risk factor for developing lung fluid in these patients but overall survival was not affected.

Leukemia is a cancer of the bone marrow that leads to abnormal immune cells. Dasatinib is a drug which targets certain proteins on cancer cells. It may be associated with side effects in patients with leukemia with abnormal genes. Fluid build-up in the lungs (pleural effusion) can be a dangerous side effect. It is important to research risk and survival in this group of patients.

This study included 11 trials with a total of 2712 patients with leukemia treated with dasatinib. One set of trials looked at patients with chronic phase-chronic myeloid leukemia (CP-CML). Another set of trials looked at patients with accelerated or blast phase-CML (A/BP-CML) and with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and abnormal genes.

Overall, 35% of patients developed lung fluid with dasatinib treatment. 28% of the patients with CP-CML developed lung fluid 5-7 years after treatment. 33% of the A/BP-CML-ALL group developed lung fluid, related to dasatinib treatment.

There were no differences in survival rates or response rates to dasatinib treatment between patients who developed fluid in the lungs and those who did not. Increasing age was found to be a risk factor for developing fluid on the lungs in these patients.

The study concluded that age was a risk factor for developing fluid in the lungs in patients with leukemia treated with dasatinib. Overall survival was not affected by this side effect.