In recent years, new drugs that target specific parts of cancer cells have been developed. These drugs work differently than standard chemotherapy drugs. They often have different (and less severe) side effects. These drugs are often referred to as targeted therapy. Some of these drugs can be useful in certain cases of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL).
For instance, drugs such as imatinib (Gleevec®), dasatinib (Sprycel®), and nilotinib (Tasigna®) specifically attack cells that have the Philadelphia chromosome (a shortened chromosome 22 that results from a translocation with chromosome 9).
About 1 out of 4 adult patients with ALL have leukemia cells with this abnormal chromosome. Early studies have found that adding one of these drugs to chemotherapy may help more patients go into remission after treatment and may help keep the leukemia from coming back. Larger studies are in progress to try to confirm this.
These drugs are taken daily as pills. Possible side effects include diarrhea, nausea, muscle pain, fatigue, and skin rashes. These are generally mild. A common side effect is swelling around the eyes or in the hands or feet. Some studies suggest this fluid buildup may rarely be due to the drugs' effects on the heart. Other possible side effects include lower red blood cell and platelet counts at the start of treatment. All of these side effects get worse at higher than usual doses of the drug.
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