Delayed acute pancreatitis induced by nilotinib in a patient with chronic myeloid leukemia attaining sustained...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have transformed chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) treatment.
• Nilotinib, a second-generation TKI, enhances early major molecular response rates in CML patients.

Observation:

• Acute pancreatitis is a known side effect of TKIs, typically occurring early in treatment.
• This report details a rare case of delayed-onset pancreatitis in a CML patient on nilotinib.

Findings:

• The patient developed pancreatitis significantly later than typically observed, despite achieving a sustained complete molecular response.
• The deep molecular response enabled the discontinuation of nilotinib without switching to alternative TKIs, which share pancreatitis as a class effect.

Implications:

• This case expands the known timeline for nilotinib-induced pancreatitis.
• Careful patient monitoring for pancreatitis is crucial, even in patients with deep responses to TKIs.
• Understanding the timing of TKI-related adverse events aids in treatment management and patient safety.