After studying ten patients who suffered heart failure after taking the drug at University of Texas’ M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, the researchers found that a protein targeted by the drug also plays a part in the maintenance of heart muscle. Results from the study appear in the journal Nature.
“While the cancer is treated effectively, there will be some percentage of patients who could experience significant left ventricular dysfunction and even heart failure from this,” said lead researcher Dr Thomas Force, professor of medicine at Jefferson Medical College.
Gleevec, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, vastly improved the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), helping as many as 90% of patients diagnosed with the disease to survive over five years.
The researchers said that patients should continue to take the drug despite finding that it could cause heart toxicity. However, they also urged that patients taking the drug should be more closely monitored for its effects on the heart.
“Gleevec is a wonderful drug and patients with these diseases need to be on it,” added Dr Force. “We’re trying to call attention to the fact that Gleevec and other similar drugs coming along could have significant side effects on the heart and clinicians need to be aware of this.”