Table 2 Cardiac adverse events in CML patients treated with TKIs

From: European LeukemiaNet recommendations for the management and avoidance of adverse events of treatment in chronic myeloid leukaemia

CML

Study design

Method

Result

Conclusion

Rosti et al.60

Retrospective; 833 patients 296 patients in late CP (LCP) and 537 patients in early CP (ECP) 400 mg or 800 mg imatinib; median FU 64 (LCP) and 18 months (ECP)

Estimation of cardiac deaths and cardiac severe adverse events (SAEs)

77 Deaths have been recorded, 68 in the group of 296 LCP patients (22.9%) and 9 in the group of 537 ECP patients (1.6%). Three were recorded and confirmed

Overall cardiac mortality rate of 0.3%

Atallah et al.61

Retrospective 1276 patients, median FU 5 years

Eligibility criteria excluded patients with cardiac problems (for example, patients with classes III and IV according to the NYHAC); routine examinations

22 Patients (1.8%) having symptoms attributed to CHF. 18 Patients had previous medical conditions predisposing them to cardiac disease

CHF in connection with imatinib use was reasonably unambiguous in only 7 of the 1276 patients reviewed (0.5%)

Hatfield et al.62

Retrospective

Novartis clinical database of six trials, 2,327 patients including advanced CML (n=553), and CML in CP (n=1442), GIST (n=147), or a variety of rare malignant diseases (n=185)

Adverse events and serious adverse events were recorded by investigators in all trials

12 Cases of CHF (0.5%) were considered as incident cases (with no previous history of CHF or left ventricular dysfunction)

Incidence of CHF is 0.2% per year across all trials

Gambacorti-Passerini et al.63

Retrospective 103 patients, median age 51, median FU 48 months

Annual electrocardiogram and echocardiographic examinations

3 Deaths non-CML-related, 2 sudden deaths. No case of CHF developed

No significant drop in mean ejection fraction values

Estabragh et al.64

Prospective evaluation; 59 CML patients median FU 3.4 years

Echocardiography and MUGA scanning

 

No evidence of myocardial deterioration

Marcolino et al.68

Retrospective 90 CML patients for a median FU of 3.3 years

Clinical evaluation, electrocardiography, echocardiography, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and troponin I measurements

Mean ejection fraction 68%, Median BNP level 9.6 pg/ml. 2 Patients with either an elevated BNP or a depressed ejection fraction

Imatinib-related cardiotoxicity is an uncommon event even during long-term treatment

Marcolino et al.66

Prospective; 12 CML patients

Electrocardiographic abnormalities, echocardiographic measurements and BNP levels

Median ejection fraction at baseline 67% vs 68% under FU (median intra-patient change 0.5%). Median BNP levels were 8.3 vs 7.3 pg

It is probably safe to perform cardiac monitoring on an annual basis

Atallah et al.67

Retrospective 1276 patients enroled, median age 70 years Median time on imatinib 162 days

Review of all reported serious adverse events of cardiac adverse events

22 (1.7%) were identified as having symptoms that could be attributed to systolic heart failure, 8 (0.6%) were considered possibly or probably related to imatinib

Imatinib therapy as a causal factor of CHF is uncommon

Ribeiro et al.65

Prospective, 103 CML on imatinib and 57 MPN not treated with imatinib

BNP levels and echocardiographic measurements for imatinib and control groups

4 Patients in the imatinib group presented a BNP level >100 pg/ml, one of them with depressed LVEF

No statistical difference

  1. Abbreviations: BNP, brain natriuretic peptide; CHF, congestive heart failure; ECP, early chronic phase; FU, follow-up; LCP, late chronic phase; MUGA, multigated acquisition scan; NYHAC, New York Heart Association Criteria.