Cardiotoxicity of imatinib mesylate: an extremely rare phenomenon or a major side effect?

Imatinib mesylate (Gleevec/Glivec) is a small-molecule inhibitor, which blocks selectively the tyrosine kinase activity of c-abl, bcr-abl, platelet-derived growth factor receptor, c-fms and c-kit.1 It is widely used for the treatment of Philadelphia chromosome-positive leukaemia and gastrointestinal stromal tumours.2,3 Imatinib might also become a novel therapeutic option for pulmonary arterial hypertension.4 Furthermore, imatinib is a potent anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic drug, and might be a promising candidate for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and systemic sclerosis.5,6 Kerkela et al 7 recently reported on 10 patients who developed congestive heart failure after taking imatinib mesylate. Histological evaluation of cardiac …