Is imatinib a chemotherapy?
Imatinib, sold under the brand names Gleevec and Glivec (both marketed worldwide by Novartis) among others, is an oral chemotherapy medication used to treat cancer.
How successful is Gleevec?
Gleevec effectiveness Gleevec has been found effective in treating several different types of blood cancers. In one clinical study, adults with newly diagnosed CML in the chronic phase took Gleevec for seven years. In this group, 96.6 % of people had a complete response to the drug.
How long does it take for Gleevec to start working?
However, 25% of patients showed best response before 58 days of treatment (about 2 months), and 25% needed over 172 days (about 6 months).
Does Gleevec make you tired?
When you take Gleevec, it can reduce the amount of red blood cell production—this varies among patients. This low blood count causes a lack of oxygen to be carried to the tissues, in turn, causing weakness and exhaustion. In extreme cases transfusions may be used to treat anemia.
Do you lose your hair with Gleevec?
Hair loss. Gleevec can cause hair loss in people taking it, although this isn’t a common side effect of the drug. Keep in mind that hair loss during cancer treatment is usually temporary. In general, hair lost while taking Gleevec is expected to grow back after you stop taking the drug.
How long can I take imatinib?
Optimal duration of therapy is unknown but generally imatinib should be continued for 6–9 months, after which additional tumor shrinkage is usually minor.
Does Gleevec make you gain weight?
Serious side effects and their symptoms can include the following: Severe fluid retention (too much fluid or water) in and around your heart, lungs (pleural effusion), and belly (ascites). Symptoms can include: unexpected, rapid weight gain.
Is Gleevec chemo?
Imatinib (Gleevec®) is a Chemotherapy Regimen for Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML)
What cancers does imatinib treat?
Imatinib is used to treat certain types of leukemia (cancer that begins in the white blood cells) and other cancers and disorders of the blood cells.
Can imatinib cause kidney damage?
Conclusion. The introduction of imatinib therapy in nonclinical trial CML patients is associated with potentially irreversible acute renal injury, and the long-term treatment may cause a clinically relevant decrease in the estimated GFR.
Does imatinib cause hair loss?
In most cases, the drug is well tolerated: however, side effects can be seen. Hair loss and paronychia inflammation were often reported with Imatinib, but total alopecia was rarely mentioned. We report a CML patient who was presented with alopecia and paronychia inflammation probably induced by imatinib therapy.
How long is the treatment with imatinib?
The median duration of first-line imatinib therapy was 8.9 years (range, <0.1 to 11.7).
How long does it take for imatinib to start working?
Can imatinib cause low hemoglobin?
Anaemia is one of the most frequent side effects observed in imatinib treated patients with GIST (90% of patients), mostly mild to moderate, while this drug is associated with severe grade 3–4 anaemia in less than 10% of patients [8].
How is the daily dose of Glivec escalated?
In two clinical studies (study B2222 and an intergroup study S0033) the daily dose of Glivec was escalated to 800 mg in patients progressing at the lower daily doses of 400 mg or 600 mg.
What is the coating on Glivec 400 mg?
The tablet coating is made of red iron oxide (E172), yellow iron oxide (E172), macrogol, talc and hypromellose. Glivec 400 mg film-coated tablets are very dark yellow to brownish-orange oval tablets.
What is leukaemia and how does Glivec work?
Leukaemia is a cancer of white blood cells. These white cells usually help the body to fight infection. Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is a form of leukaemia in which certain abnormal white cells (named lymphoblasts) start growing out of control. Glivec inhibits the growth of these cells. Myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative diseases (MDS/MPD).
How effective is Glivec for chronic phase multiple myeloma?
The effectiveness of Glivec is based on overall haematological and cytogenetic response rates and progression-free survival. Except in newly diagnosed chronic phase CML, there are no controlled trials demonstrating a clinical benefit, such as improvement in disease-related symptoms or increased survival.
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