Imatinib mesylate therapy reduces bone marrow fibrosis in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia

✍ Scribed by Carlos E. Bueso-Ramos; Jorge Cortes; Moshe Talpaz; Susan O'Brien; Francis Giles; Mary Beth Rios; L. Jeffrey Medeiros; Hagop Kantarjian

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2004
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 189 KB
• Volume: 101
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0008-543X
• DOI: 10.1002/cncr.20380

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Reticulin‐stained bone marrow fibrosis is associated with a poor prognosis in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Resolution of fibrosis with therapy may improve patient outcome.

METHODS

The effect of imatinib therapy on bone marrow fibrosis was evaluated in 40 patients with chronic‐phase CML who were treated after interferon‐α failure.

RESULTS

Thirty‐one patients (78%) had severe (Grade 3 or 4) reticulin fibrosis prior to therapy. After imatinib therapy was administered for 3 to > 24 months, fibrosis was reduced by at least 2 grades in 19 of the 31 patients (61%) and by at least 1 grade in 34 patients (85%). There was no correlation noted between reduction of fibrosis and cytogenetic response. However, a reduction in fibrosis was found to correlate with a reduction in bone marrow megakaryocytosis (P = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment with imatinib mesylate appears to reduce CML‐associated bone marrow fibrosis in most patients who are treated during the chronic phase of disease. This effect may be independent of the degree of suppression of Philadelphia chromosome‐positive cells, and may improve prognosis in patients with CML. Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society.