Cardiac morbidity in advanced chronic myelogenous leukaemia patients treated by successive allogeneic stem cell transplantation with busulphan/cyclophosphamide conditioning after imatinib mesylate administration

Abstract

Imatinib mesylate is useful for facilitating allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) in advanced-phase chronic myelogenous leukaemia (AP-CML) patients. However, although the side-effects of imatinib are usually minor, cardiac morbidity can develop as a latent adverse effect post SCT when a myeloablative SCT is given to patients taking imatinib. Two AP-CML patients who were treated with imatinib manifested severe cardiac dysfunction after an allo-SCT, whereas cardiac morbidity was not observed in 45 other patients who had not received imatinib. It would appear that exposure to imatinib may have an adverse impact on the heart in AP-CML patients who receive an allo-SCT conditioned with busulphan/cyclophosphamide.