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Subscribe To Our Syndicated NewsGleevec Cancer Drug Harms Bones
Gleevec Cancer Drug Harms Bones
-May 11, 2006
A recent study indicates that the cancer drug Gleevec can interfere with the formation and remodeling of the bones. This evidence, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, indicates that patients taking Gleevec should be carefully monitored for bone side effects, but should not necessarily be taken off the drug.
Gleevec Bone Risks
Recent research shows that Gleevec can have long-term adverse effects on the bones. The bones are a dynamic organ, being made and remodeled throughout a person's lifespan. Gleevec has the potential to interfere with these processes, inhibiting bone synthesis and bone restructuring. In some patients treated with Gleevec, this side effect can develop very quickly. This Gleevec side effect is evident by very low levels of serum phosphate, a material crucial to successful bone remodeling and synthesis.
What does this mean for Gleevec patients?
What these new Gleevec side effects mean will depend on a careful assessment of an individual's treatment by a qualified doctor. The researchers who published this study, however, do not feel that patients should discontinue use of this drug, given its benefits. They did note that patients might have to be carefully screened for bone abnormalities throughout treatment.
Carefully Weighing Gleevec Risks and Benefits
As with any drug with known side effects, the choice to continue or stop taking a medication hinges on a careful analysis of the risks and benefits for the particular patient. Gleevec is a drug that has brought hope and life to many patients with otherwise untreatable cancers. This drug has the potential to add years, if not decades, to a patient's life.
Because of these tremendous benefits, Gleevec treatment may continue to be an excellent treatment option despite the risks. However, it is important for patients to understand the potentially serious bone risks associated with this cancer treatment.
Concerned patients should speak with their doctors as soon as possible to learn more about Gleevec bone risks.
For more information on drug safety concerns, please contact us.
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