Introduction: Imatinib has been reported to reduce serum cholesterol levels. However, it is unclear how cholesterol levels change after the discontinuation of imatinib in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in the chronic phase (CML-CP).
Methods: We retrospectively compared total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels before and after the discontinuation of imatinib in patients with CML-CP. Hemoglobin and serum creatinine levels were also evaluated.
Results: Fourteen patients (median age 62.5 years; 11 males and three females) who discontinued imatinib between August 2015 and November 2019 were assessed. The median duration of imatinib treatment and molecular response MR^4.5 before discontinuation were 9.8 and 4.2 years, respectively. The treatment-free remission rate at six months was 62.3%. The TC and LDL-C levels significantly increased at three months after discontinuation (P<0.001 and P=0.05, respectively), whereas the HDL-C levels did not vary after discontinuation. The hemoglobin levels were improved three and six months after discontinuation compared to before discontinuation (P=0.009 and P=0.01, respectively). The serum creatinine levels did not vary after discontinuation.
Conclusions: The TC and LDL-C levels should be carefully monitored after imatinib has been discontinued in patients with CML-CP.