title: Treatment of polycythemia vera with imatinib mesylate.
abstract: We treated 37 patients with polycythemia vera with imatinib mesylate (IM). The overall response rate was 49%. Thirty percent had a complete response, and 19%, a partial response. Thirty-one patients were treated for >120 days. Frequent side effects included nausea, diarrhea, edema, and skin rash. Whereas IM was effective in controlling erythropoiesis and reducing spleen size it was ineffective in controlling thrombocytosis. Normocellular marrow developed in 4 patients who had a complete response. Progression to overt myelofibrosis occurred in 3. Nevertheless, 6 patients have had a sustained complete response while on IM for >6 years. These patients were young, had high phlebotomy requirements, and only slightly elevated platelet counts. Therefore, we believe there may be a role for IM in patients with these characteristics whose disease cannot be controlled by, or as an alternative to, other myelosuppressive treatments.
authors: Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065-4896, USA. rtsilve@med.cornell.edu
authors: Richard T
authors: RT
authors: Silver
authors: Michael H
authors: MH
authors: Bourla
authors: Katherine
authors: K
authors: Vandris
authors: Steven
authors: S
authors: Fruchtman
authors: Jerry L
authors: JL
authors: Spivak
authors: Eric J
authors: EJ
authors: Feldman
authors: August J
authors: AJ
authors: Salvado
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001549:Benzamides; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010879:Piperazines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011086:Polycythemia / Q000188:drug therapy; D011087:Polycythemia Vera / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011379:Prognosis; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013922:Thrombocytosis / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001549:Benzamides; D010879:Piperazines; D011743:Pyrimidines; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate