סרטן-לא הלעלות

-- Gleevec, the drug that has brought life and hope to patients with some otherwise untreatable cancers, can interfere with bone formation, researchers have found.

It's a side effect, they say, that deserves careful watching but should not stop use of the medication.

"This is a new type of side effect that we discovered in part because some of our patents on Gleevec developed low levels of serum phosphate, a mineral important in bone synthesis and modeling," said Dr. Ellin Berman, a member of the leukemia service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. She's also lead author of a paper on the finding that appears in the May 11 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

"In some patients it developed very quickly," Berman said. "In some patients, phosphate levels were very, very low. Then we brought in kidney specialists and then bone specialists. What we found was surprising. It had not been described before."

The patients were being treated for chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), a blood cancer whose outlook has been transformed by Gleevec. The drug has changed the potential life expectancy of CML patients from a few years to perhaps decades.

The detection of the drug's effect on bone means patients being treated with Gleevec for either CML or intestinal cancers called gastrointestinal stromal tumors "have to be screened for abnormalities of bone," Berman said. "What Gleevec appears to do is inhibit bone synthesis and bone remodeling."

The new finding focused on just 16 patients who were found to have low serum phosphate levels, and its ultimate importance has yet to be determined, Berman said. "This suggests that Gleevec may have long-term effects on bone, not bone marrow but bone structure itself," she said. "We are trying to put the entire picture together. Is everyone on Gleevec at risk, or just some people? Do we need to look at the entire bone structure?"

But doctors at Memorial Sloan-Kettering are continuing to use Gleevec -- with careful monitoring of bone structure and function. "Bone is a dynamic organ, which is constantly being made and remodeled," Berman said.

Dr. Marshall Lichtman, executive vice president of research and medical programs at the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, called the Sloan-Kettering report "an important observation. It certainly will be helpful for physicians caring for patients with CML. But what we don't know yet are the implications of this over the long run."

Side effects such as the one reported now "are probably predictable, because we are inhibiting enzymes in normal tissue as well as diseased tissue," Lichtman said. "The remarkable thing is how well-tolerated this drug is, considering that it inhibits the action of critical enzymes."

Only mild side effects of Gleevec have been reported before, such as gastrointestinal upset and slight protrusion of the eyes. While the ultimate impact of the newly reported effect is unknown, "we have to take steps to prevent any long-term significant bone disease," Lichtman said.

Berman said there may even be a positive side to the discovery. "Gleevec may have a role in disease where bone synthesis and turnover need to be turned off," she said. For example, it could be helpful when cells from a cancer elsewhere in the body move into a bone. Stopping bone synthesis could help control that problem, she said.

More information

To learn more about Gleevec, visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Email this article Print this page Back to top

Addiction via RSS (What is RSS?)

http://health.yahoo.com/news/rss/addiction

All Health RSS Feeds

Archived Stories by Date: May 10, 2006 May 9, 2006 May 8, 2006 May 7, 2006 May 6, 2006 May 5, 2006 May 4, 2006 May 3, 2006 May 2, 2006 May 1, 2006 April 30, 2006 April 29, 2006 April 28, 2006 April 27, 2006 April 26, 2006 April 25, 2006 April 24, 2006 April 23, 2006 April 22, 2006 April 21, 2006 April 20, 2006 April 19, 2006 April 18, 2006 April 17, 2006 April 16, 2006 April 15, 2006 April 14, 2006 April 13, 2006 April 12, 2006 April 11, 2006 April 10, 2006 April 9, 2006 April 8, 2006 April 7, 2006 April 6, 2006 April 5, 2006 April 4, 2006 April 3, 2006 April 2, 2006 April 1, 2006 March 31, 2006 March 30, 2006 March 29, 2006 March 28, 2006 March 27, 2006 March 26, 2006 March 25, 2006 March 24, 2006 March 23, 2006 March 22, 2006 March 21, 2006 March 20, 2006 March 19, 2006 March 18, 2006 March 17, 2006 March 16, 2006 March 15, 2006 March 14, 2006 March 13, 2006 March 12, 2006 March 11, 2006 March 10, 2006 March 9, 2006 March 8, 2006 March 7, 2006 March 6, 2006 March 5, 2006 March 4, 2006 March 3, 2006 March 2, 2006 March 1, 2006 February 28, 2006 February 27, 2006 February 26, 2006 February 25, 2006 February 24, 2006 February 23, 2006 February 22, 2006 February 21, 2006 February 20, 2006 February 19, 2006 February 18, 2006 February 17, 2006 February 16, 2006 February 15, 2006 February 14, 2006 February 13, 2006 February 12, 2006 February 11, 2006 February 10, 2006 February 9, 2006 February 8, 2006 February 7, 2006 February 6, 2006 February 5, 2006 February 4, 2006 February 3, 2006 February 2, 2006 February 1, 2006 January 31, 2006 January 30, 2006 January 29, 2006 January 28, 2006 January 27, 2006 January 26, 2006 January 25, 2006 January 24, 2006 January 23, 2006 January 22, 2006 January 21, 2006 January 20, 2006 January 19, 2006 January 18, 2006 January 17, 2006 January 16, 2006 January 15, 2006 January 14, 2006 January 13, 2006 January 12, 2006 January 11, 2006 January 10, 2006 January 9, 2006 January 8, 2006 January 7, 2006 January 6, 2006 January 5, 2006 January 4, 2006 January 3, 2006 January 2, 2006 January 1, 2006 December 31, 2005 December 30, 2005 December 29, 2005 December 28, 2005 December 27, 2005 December 26, 2005 December 25, 2005 December 24, 2005 December 23, 2005 December 22, 2005 December 21, 2005 December 20, 2005 December 19, 2005 December 18, 2005 December 17, 2005 December 16, 2005 December 15, 2005 December 14, 2005 December 13, 2005 December 12, 2005 December 11, 2005 December 10, 2005 December 9, 2005 December 8, 2005 December 7, 2005 December 6, 2005 December 5, 2005 December 4, 2005 December 3, 2005 December 2, 2005 December 1, 2005 November 30, 2005 November 29, 2005 November 28, 2005 November 27, 2005 November 26, 2005 November 25, 2005 November 24, 2005 November 23, 2005 November 22, 2005 November 21, 2005 November 20, 2005 November 19, 2005 November 18, 2005 November 17, 2005 November 16, 2005 November 15, 2005 November 14, 2005 November 13, 2005 November 12, 2005 November 11, 2005 November 10, 2005 November 9, 2005 November 8, 2005 November 7, 2005 November 6, 2005 November 5, 2005 November 4, 2005 November 3, 2005 November 2, 2005 November 1, 2005 October 31, 2005 October 30, 2005 October 29, 2005 October 28, 2005 October 27, 2005 October 26, 2005 October 25, 2005 October 24, 2005 October 23, 2005 October 22, 2005 October 21, 2005 October 20, 2005 October 19, 2005 October 18, 2005 October 17, 2005 October 16, 2005 October 15, 2005 October 14, 2005 October 13, 2005 October 12, 2005 October 11, 2005 October 10, 2005 October 9, 2005 October 8, 2005 October 7, 2005 October 6, 2005 October 5, 2005 October 4, 2005 October 3, 2005 October 2, 2005 October 1, 2005 September 30, 2005 September 29, 2005 September 28, 2005 September 27, 2005 September 26, 2005 September 25, 2005 September 24, 2005 September 23, 2005 September 22, 2005 September 21, 2005 September 20, 2005 September 19, 2005 September 18, 2005 September 17, 2005 September 16, 2005 September 15, 2005 September 14, 2005 September 13, 2005 September 12, 2005 September 11, 2005 September 10, 2005 September 9, 2005 September 8, 2005 September 7, 2005 September 6, 2005 September 5, 2005 September 4, 2005 September 3, 2005 September 2, 2005 September 1, 2005 August 31, 2005 August 30, 2005 August 29, 2005 August 28, 2005 August 27, 2005 August 26, 2005 August 25, 2005 August 24, 2005 August 23, 2005 August 22, 2005 August 21, 2005 August 20, 2005 August 19, 2005 August 18, 2005 August 17, 2005 August 16, 2005 August 15, 2005 August 14, 2005 August 13, 2005 August 12, 2005 August 11, 2005 August 10, 2005 August 9, 2005 August 8, 2005 August 7, 2005 August 6, 2005 August 5, 2005 August 4, 2005 August 3, 2005 August 2, 2005 August 1, 2005 July 31, 2005 July 30, 2005 July 29, 2005 July 28, 2005 July 27, 2005 July 26, 2005 July 25, 2005 July 24, 2005 July 23, 2005 July 22, 2005 July 21, 2005 July 20, 2005 July 19, 2005 July 18, 2005 July 17, 2005 July 16, 2005 July 15, 2005 July 14, 2005 July 13, 2005 July 12, 2005 July 11, 2005 July 10, 2005 July 9, 2005 July 8, 2005 July 7, 2005 July 6, 2005 July 5, 2005 July 4, 2005 July 3, 2005 July 2, 2005 July 1, 2005 June 30, 2005 June 29, 2005 June 28, 2005 June 27, 2005 June 26, 2005 June 25, 2005 June 24, 2005 June 23, 2005 June 22, 2005 June 21, 2005 June 20, 2005 June 19, 2005 June 18, 2005 June 17, 2005 June 16, 2005 June 15, 2005 June 14, 2005 June 13, 2005 June 12, 2005 June 11, 2005 June 10, 2005 June 9, 2005 June 8, 2005 June 7, 2005 June 6, 2005 June 5, 2005 June 4, 2005 June 3, 2005 June 2, 2005 June 1, 2005 May 31, 2005 May 30, 2005 May 29, 2005 May 28, 2005 May 27, 2005 May 26, 2005 May 25, 2005 May 24, 2005 May 23, 2005 May 22, 2005 May 21, 2005 May 20, 2005 May 19, 2005 May 18, 2005 May 17, 2005 May 16, 2005 May 15, 2005 May 14, 2005 May 13, 2005 May 12, 2005 May 11, 2005
All Health News All HealthDay News ADVERTISEMENT

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Not finding what you're looking for? Send Feedback

סרטן-לא הלעלות

תגובות

רגע, שקט פה מדי

חדשות שמכבדות את הזמן שלך