What is Glivec used for?

This medication is used to treat certain types of cancer (such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia, chronic myeloid leukemia, gastrointestinal stromal tumors, and myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative diseases). It works by slowing or stopping the growth of cancer cells.

What are the side effects of Glivec?

The following side effects are common (occurring in greater than 30%) for patients taking Gleevec:

• Low blood counts.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Edema (swelling of the face, feet, hands)
• Muscle cramps and bone pain.
• Diarrhea.
• Hemorrhage (see bleeding problems)
• Skin rash (see skin reactions)
• Fever.

Can imatinib cure cancer?

Treatment for Life It does not cure patients of their cancers; it keeps the cancers from growing. Patients taking Gleevec are recommended to maintain treatment for life to help avoid relapse of the disease. It’s not yet clear why the drug is not able to cure the disease.

How long do you take imatinib for?

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 imatinib lower immune system?

Imatinib appears to block a protein called Ido, which researchers think tumors use to promote regulatory T cell function and thus prevent immune attack. Neutralizing Ido’s effect alters the ratio among the T cells, giving the cytotoxic T cells the upper hand to unleash the immune response.

Is imatinib a cure?

Imatinib mesylate has transformed the treatment for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). The vast majority of patients obtain hematologic remission, with a low probability of progression of disease. Yet imatinib rarely cures CML, and current recommendations dictate lifelong treatment with imatinib.

Can imatinib be stopped?

Imatinib (IM) can safely be discontinued in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) who have had undetectable minimal residual disease (UMRD) for at least 2 years. We report the final results of the Stop Imatinib (STIM1) study with a long follow-up.

What if I stop taking imatinib?

In essence, these cells “wake up” when the drug is discontinued. Post-imatinib recurrences of GIST have been found to be highly aggressive, placing the patient at risk for marked acceleration of tumor growth and a rapidly fatal course.

What happens if I stop taking imatinib?

Does imatinib suppress the immune system?

How effective is imatinib?

The estimated overall survival rate at 10 years among patients receiving first-line imatinib treatment was 83.3% (95% CI, 80.1 to 86.6) (Figure 2).