[Management of the cardiovascular disease risk during nilotinib treatment in chronic myeloid leukemia: 2015 recommendations from the France Intergroupe des Leucémies Myéloïdes Chroniques]

Abstract

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors targeting the BCR-ABL oncoprotein represent an outstanding progress in chronic myeloid leukemia and long-term progression-free survival has become a reality for a majority of patients. However, tyrosine kinase inhibitors may at best chronicize rather than cure the disease thus current recommendation is to pursue treatment indefinitely. As a consequence, high quality treatment and care must integrate optimal disease control and treatment tolerability. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors have an overall favorable safety profile in clinical practice since most adverse events are mild to moderate in intensity. However, recent evidence has emerged that new generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors may sometimes damage vital organs and if not adequately managed, morbidity and mortality may increase. The 2nd generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor nilotinib is licensed for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia with resistance or intolerance to imatinib and newly diagnosed chronic phase-chronic myeloid leukemia. Nilotinib represents an important therapeutic option but it is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events. The purpose of this article by the France Intergroupe des Leucémies Myéloïdes Chroniques is to provide an overview of nilotinib efficacy and cardiovascular safety profile and to propose practical recommendations with the goal to minimize the risk and severity of cardiovascular events in nilotinib-treated patients.

Keywords: Cardiovascular risk; Chronic myeloid leukemia; Inhibiteur de tyrosine kinase; Leucémie myéloïde chronique; Nilotinib; Prevention; Prévention; Risque cardiovasculaire; Tyrosine kinase inhibitor.