Successful childbirth in a patient with chronic myelogenous leukemia treated with imatinib mesylate during early pregnancy.

Aims: To report a case of successful pregnancy in a patient with chronic myelogenous leukemia treated with imatinib mesylate for the first 4 months of pregnancy.

Results: Imatinib mesylate is potentially teratogenic and its use during pregnancy in humans can lead to abortion or development of fetal abnormalities in nearly 40% of fully reported cases. We report a case of a 28-year-old woman who delivered a healthy child of normal weight after having been treated with imatinib for Ph1-positive CML during the first four months of her pregnancy. She refused advocated interruption and for the rest of the pregnancy was treated with interferon. The treatment was associated with a rapid 2-log increase in the leukemia clone measured by the real-time polymerase chain reaction. Reintroduction of imatinib after delivery resulted in achievement of the complete cytogenetic response again.

Conclusions: We discuss possible strategies for successful management of pregnancy in CML patients treated with imatinib.