Leukemia, chronic myelogenous, treatment

The plasma half-life of 6-MP after intravenous bolus injection is 21 min in children and is twofold greater in adults. After oral intake peak levels are attained within 2 h. 6-MP is used for the treatment of ALL and has shown certain activity in chronic myelogenous leukemia. The major side effects involve myelosuppression, nausea, vomiting, and hepatic injury. 

A detailed study of the 0-linked oligosaccharides present on the surface of normal granulocytes, chronic myelogenous leukemia cells, and acute myelogenous leukemia cells has been completed. Structures were elucidated by f.a.b.-m.s. after permethylation, and methylation analysis before and after specific exo-glycosidase treatments. Some of the components were shown by f.a.b.-m.s. to be poly(N-acetyllactosaminyl) oligosaccharides, for example, 29. 

Mercaptopurine (6-MP) is an oral purine analog that is converted to a ribonucleotide to inhibit purine synthesis. Mercaptopurine is converted into thiopurine nucleotides, which are catabolized by thiopurine S-methyltransferase (TPMT), which is subject to genetic polymorphisms and may cause severe myelosuppression. TPMT status may be assessed prior to therapy to reduce drug-induced morbidity and the costs of hospitalizations for neutropenic events. Mercaptopurine is poorly absorbed, with a time to peak concentration of 1 to 2 hours after an oral dose. The half-life is 21 minutes in pediatric patients and 47 minutes in adults. Mercaptopurine is used in the treatment of acute lymphocytic leukemia and chronic myelogenous leukemia. Significant side effects include myelosuppression, mild nausea, skin rash, and cholestasis. When allopurinol is used in combination with 6-MP, the dose of 6-MP must be reduced by 66% to 75% of the usual dose because allopurinol blocks the metabolism of 6-MP. 

Idarubicin inhibits both DNA and RNA polymerase, as well as topoisomerase II. The pharmacokinetics of idarubicin can best be described by a three-compartment model, with an a half-life of 13 minutes, a (3 half-life of 2.4 hours, and a terminal half-life of 16 hours.22 Idarubicin is metabolized to an active metabolite, idarubicinol, which has a half-life of 41 to 69 hours. Idarubicin and idarubicinol are eliminated by the liver and through the bile. Idarubicin has shown clinical activity in the treatment of acute leukemias, chronic myelogenous leukemia, and myelodysplastic syndromes. Idarubicin causes cardiomyopathy at cumulative doses of greater than 150 mg/m2 and produces cumulative cardiotoxic effects with other anthracyclines. Idarubicin is a vesicant and causes red-orange urine, mucositis, mild to moderate nausea and vomiting, and bone marrow suppression. 

Discuss treatment options for chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) with special emphasis on imatinib. 

Cohen, M.H. et al.. Approval summary for Imatinib Mesylate capsules in the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia, Clin. Can. Res., 8, 935-942, 2002. 

Dasatinib is an oral dual BCR/ABL and Src family tyrosine kinases inhibitor approved for use in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia after ima-tinib treatment and for the treatment of Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Maximum plasma concentrations (Cmax) of dasatinib are observed between 0.5 and 6 hours (Tmax) following oral administration. Dasatinib is extensively metabolized in humans, primarily by the cytochrome P450 enzyme 3A4. CYP3A4 was the primary enzyme responsible for the formation of the active metabolite. The overall mean terminal half-life of dasatinib is 3-5 hours. Adverse events included mild to moderate diarrhea, peripheral edema, and headache. Neutropenia and myelosuppression were common toxic effects. 

Talpaz, M., Use of interferon in the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia. Semin Oncol, 1994. 21(6 Suppl 14) 3-7. 

Indications Treatment of chronic hepatitis C, hairy-cell leukemia and AIDS-related Kaposi s sarcoma, as well as for the treatment of chronic phase, Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML)... 

H. Other considerations Interferon alfa-2a has been designated an orphan drug product for the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia, AIDS-related Kaposi s sarcoma, renal cell carcinoma, metastatic malignant melanoma, and esophageal and colorectal cancer. 

Thomas ED, Clift RA, Fefer A et al. Marrow transplantation for the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia. Ann Intern Med 1986 104 155-163. 

Ulmer T, Schaich M, Platzbecker U et al. P-glycoprotein-mediated drug efflux is a resistance mechanism of chronic myelogenous leukemia cells to treatment with imatinib mesylate. Leukemia 2004 18 401 08. 

Imatinib (STI571) is an inhibitor of the tyrosine kinase domain of the Bcr-Abl oncoprotein and prevents the phosphorylation of the kinase substrate by ATP. It is indicated for the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), a pluripotent hematopoietic stem cell disorder characterized by the t(9 22) Philadelphia chromosomal translocation. This translocation results in the Bcr-Abl fusion protein, the causative agent in CML, and is present in up to 95% of patients with this disease. This agent inhibits other activated receptor tyrosine kinases for platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR), stem cell factor (SCF), and c-kit. 

Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) arises from a chromosomally abnormal hematopoietic stem cell in which a balanced translocation between the long arms of chromosomes 9 and 22, t(9 22), is observed in 90-95% of cases. This translocation results in expression of the Bcr-Abl fusion oncoprotein with a molecular weight of 210 kDa, which is constitutively expressed. The clinical symptoms and course are related to the white blood cell count and its rate of increase. Most patients with white cell counts over 50,000/ L should be treated. The goals of treatment are to reduce the... 

Imatinib (2),5 marketed by Novartis since 2001, is the first tyrosine kinase inhibitor approved as a treatment for chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). It inhibits the BCR-ABL kinase that is highly specific to leukemic cells. Dasatinib (3)6 and nilotinib (4)7 are two other BCR-ABL kinase inhibitors marketed by Bristol-Myers Squibbs and Novartis, respectively. They are effective for the treatment of imatinib-resistant CML patients. 

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