Tyrosine kinase inhibitorFDA-approvedFirst-line
Imatinib
How it works
Blocks the BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase enzyme, which is overactive in CML cells, and also inhibits other tyrosine kinases involved in cancer growth.
Cancer types
Leukemia— BCR-ABL-positive
Efficacy
In clinical trials, around 90% of patients achieved a major cytogenetic response, with a median progression-free survival of approximately 18 months.
Side effects
Moderate
Side effects can be significant and may require dose adjustments or supportive medication, but the treatment is usually continued.
Evidence from research
| Study | Cancer type | Stage | Efficacy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Treatment for Rectal Cancer Tumors Shows Promise | Leukemia | review | Neoadjuvant imatinib therapy achieves significant tumor downsizing (25-46% reduction), | Source → |
| Long-term Outcomes of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia | Leukemia | observational | Five-year overall survival ranged from 78% for dasatinib to 90% for nilotinib, with nilotinib associated with improved overall survival (hazard ratio [HR], 0.43) and event-free survival (HR, 0.48) and the fastest BCR-ABL1 decline (β = -8.3%) versus imatinib. | Source → |
| Imatinib's Effectiveness in Treating Leukemia May Be Limited in the Brain | Leukemia | lab-study | — | Source → |
| Testing Binimetinib and Imatinib for Advanced Melanoma | Melanoma | phase-2 | — | Source → |
| Rare Side Effect of Leukemia Treatment | Leukemia | observational | — | Source → |
| Imatinib's Early Molecular Effects on Leukemia Cells | Leukemia | lab-study | — | Source → |
| Combining Imatinib and Zebularine May Help Treat Colorectal Cancer | Colorectal Cancer | lab-study | — | Source → |
| Imatinib Triggers Early Changes in Cancer Cells | Leukemia | lab-study | — | Source → |
| Pregnancy Risks with Leukemia Medications | Leukemia | observational | — | Source → |
| Ponatinib Improves Quality of Life for Leukemia Patients | Leukemia | phase-3 | — | Source → |
| Monitoring Imatinib in Children with Leukaemia | Leukemia | observational | Correlation of IMA C >1000 ng/mL with achieving OMR demonstrated in each 63% (N = 24/37, N = 27/43, respectively) patients at months 3 and 6. | Source → |
| New Nanoformulation Targets Metastatic Ovarian Cancer | Ovarian Cancer | lab-study | — | Source → |
| Microfluidic Chips Speed Up Cancer Drug Testing | Leukemia | lab-study | Significant increased apoptosis was seen in K562 cells treated with imatinib in the microfluidic device compared to cells treated with imatinib in 24- and 96-well plates. | Source → |
| Combining treatments for lung cancer and blood disorder | Lung Cancer | observational | — | Source → |
| Giant Rectal Tumor Responds to Imatinib Mesylate Chemotherapy | Colorectal Cancer | observational | The tumor diameter reduction rate at 1, 3, and 5 months after treatment was 28%, 32%, and 40%. | Source → |
| Reducing Large Rectal Tumors with Imatinib Therapy | Colorectal Cancer | observational | The tumor size was reduced by 40% after 28 weeks of administering neoadjuvant therapy. | Source → |
| Vitamin K2 May Help Protect Leukemia Cells from COVID-19 Damage | Leukemia | lab-study | — | Source → |
| Combining Natural Compounds with Imatinib May Help Treat Leukemia | Leukemia | lab-study | — | Source → |
| Monitoring Imatinib's Active Metabolite May Not Be Necessary | Leukemia | lab-study | — | Source → |
| Guaranteed Access to Imatinib Improves Survival in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Patients | Leukemia | observational | The 20-year survival probability was 76% for patients with guaranteed access to imatinib, compared to 61% for those without access. | Source → |
| Nilotinib and Imatinib Compared in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Treatment | Leukemia | observational | Nilotinib-treated patients achieved complete cytogenetic response and major molecular response more rapidly than imatinib-treated patients. | Source → |
| Combining Natural Compounds with Imatinib May Improve Leukemia Treatment | Leukemia | review | — | Source → |
| New Method for Measuring Cancer Drug Concentration in Blood | Leukemia | lab-study | — | Source → |
| Rare Skin Reaction Linked to Cancer Drug | Leukemia | review | — | Source → |
| BCR::ABL1 Inhibitors Affect Blood Vessel Growth Differently | Leukemia | lab-study | — | Source → |
| New Cancer Treatment Shows Promise in Lab and Clinical Trials | Leukemia | preclinical | Flumatinib demonstrated better efficacy than imatinib on CML in clinical trials and in real world studies. | Source → |
| Imatinib May Cause Fluid Retention in Some Patients | Leukemia | observational | — | Source → |
| Genetic Variations Affect Imatinib Concentration in CML Patients | Leukemia | lab-study | Carriers of the CYP3A5-rs776746 G allele exhibited higher rates of complete cytogenetic response (CCyR) and major molecular response (MMR). | Source → |
| New Sensor Detects Cancer Drug in Blood Samples | Leukemia | lab-study | A comprehensive linear response over IMB concentrations from 5 × 10^(-9) mol/L to 8 × 10^(-9) mol/L with a low detection limit of 9.3 × 10^(-9) mol/L was achieved. | Source → |
| New Study Compares Treatments for a Specific Type of Leukaemia | Leukemia | phase-3 | — | Source → |
| New Genes and Pathways Identified in Leukemia Treatment | Leukemia | lab-study | — | Source → |
| Predicting Imatinib Response in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia | Leukemia | lab-study | — | Source → |
| Cancer Genes at Diagnosis Affect Leukemia Treatment | Leukemia | phase-3 | AGA were identified in 31% of patients. | Source → |
| Targeting Leukaemic Stem Cells with a New Metabolic Approach | Leukemia | lab-study | Genetic ablation of pyruvate anaplerosis sensitises CML cells to imatinib. | Source → |
| Imatinib treatment linked to rare liver damage | Leukemia | observational | — | Source → |
| Frontline Cancer Treatment Choices for CML Patients | Leukemia | observational | — | Source → |
| Gene NDRG3 linked to imatinib resistance in leukemia | Leukemia | lab-study | — | Source → |
| New Imatinib Film for Treating Skin Cancer | Melanoma | animal-study | The topical application of the optimized imatinib FFS significantly increased tumor inhibition rate (67.54 ± 2.72%). | Source → |
| Imatinib Restores Cancer-Fighting Signal in Leukemia Cells | Leukemia | lab-study | — | Source → |
| Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors Affect Platelet Function in Lab Experiments | Leukemia | lab-study | — | Source → |
| Genetic Variations and Smoking May Affect Leukemia Treatment | Leukemia | lab-study | — | Source → |
| Comparing Cancer Treatments in Chinese Children | Leukemia | phase-3 | — | Source → |
| Cancer Researchers Study Imatinib Treatment Cessation in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia | Leukemia | phase-3 | The probability of treatment-free remission was 43.4% at 5 years, 40.9% at 7 years, and 34.5% at 9 years. | Source → |
| ACSL1 Helps Imatinib Treat Leukemia Cells | Leukemia | lab-study | — | Source → |
| Gastrointestinal Bleeding Risk with Cancer Medications | Leukemia | observational | — | Source → |
| Rare Cancer Mutation May Affect Imatinib Treatment | Leukemia | lab-study | None of the 3 patients who received imatinib based on the incorrect assumption of an ETV6-PDGFRA fusion responded. | Source → |
| Evaluating Imatinib Models for Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia Treatment | Leukemia | observational | — | Source → |
| Imatinib Treatment for Newly Diagnosed Chronic Myeloid Leukemia | Leukemia | observational | After 3 months of treatment, 95.9% of patients achieved complete hematological response (CHR). | Source → |
| Combining Etoposide and Imatinib May Help Eliminate Leukemia Stem Cells | Leukemia | animal-study | The number and proportion of leukemia stem cells in bone marrow and the proportion of neutrophils in peripheral blood decreased significantly after ETO and IM combined treatment. | Source → |
| Rare Brain Bleed Linked to Cancer Treatment in Teenager | Leukemia | observational | — | Source → |
| Imatinib's Effect on Cancer Cells May Depend on Nitric Oxide Levels | Leukemia | lab-study | — | Source → |
| Cancer Study Examines Safety of Stopping Imatinib Treatment | Leukemia | phase-2 | MRFS at 24 months was 55% (95% CI 39-75). | Source → |
| Gene Variation Linked to Leukemia Treatment Response | Leukemia | lab-study | — | Source → |
| Rare Cancer Symptom in Teenager | Leukemia | observational | — | Source → |
| Imatinib Treatment for Pediatric CML in China | Leukemia | observational | Among the 25 patients whose response to imatinib mesylate was regularly monitored, 92.0% achieved complete hematologic response at 3 months. | Source → |
| Imatinib May Help Prevent Colorectal Cancer in Some Patients | Leukemia | observational | — | Source → |
| Ponatinib vs Imatinib for Leukemia Treatment: Cost Comparison | Leukemia | phase-3 | Ponatinib offered an approximate gain of 3 months of life and 6 months of quality-adjusted life. | Source → |
This information is provided for general education only and is not medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making treatment decisions.