Molecular Response to Nilotinib in a Patient with Imatinib-intolerant e19a2-positive Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

• Published in: Internal Medicine Vol. 53; no. 24; pp. 2801 - 2804
• Main Authors: Kajiguchi, Tomohiro, Okuno, Shingo, Ohno, Toshihito, Abe, Akihiro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine 01.01.2014
• Subjects: Benzamides - therapeutic use; chronic myeloid leukemia; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm - drug effects; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm - genetics; e19a2; Female; Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl - drug effects; Humans; Imatinib Mesylate; intolerance; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive - drug therapy; Middle Aged; molecular response; nilotinib; Piperazines - therapeutic use; Pyrimidines - therapeutic use; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 0918-2918; 1349-7235
• DOI: 10.2169/internalmedicine.53.2578

The BCR-ABL1 fusion gene is the molecular marker of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). The e19a2 transcript is a rare variant associated with various clinical presentations and courses of CML. We herein present a case of e19a2-positive CML who was intolerant to initial treatment with imatinib and successfully responded to subsequent nilotinib therapy. She achieved a major molecular response and has since be able to sustain it. According to the literature, achieved molecular response by imatinib monotherapy has not yet been reported in e19a2-positive CML patients. Second generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors may therefore be a more effective treatment for e19a2-positive CML patients.