Glivec is a drug made up of the active substance imatinib. It is indicated to treat mainly chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) and other types of cancer. Glivec works by inhibiting the growth of an enzyme called Tyrosine Kinase (a type of cancer cell). Its form of presentation for sale is in tablets of 100mg and 400mg.
For the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia, glivec can be administered to both children and adults. Now in other cancers (gastrointestinal stromal tumors, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, myeloproliferative syndromes, chronic eosinophilic leukemia) treatment with glivec is only for adults.
An important point that the patient must bear in mind is that this drug can only be prescribed by a professional with experience in drugs to treat blood cell cancer or solid tumors.
Do not take glivec if you are allergic to its active substance imatinib. In addition to taking special care if you have a history of heart conditions, or have suffered from the liver or kidney. Glivec should not be used in pregnant or lactating women.
The presentation of glivec is in tablets to be administered orally, with a large glass of water, together with meals and depending on what the doctor says 1 or 2 times a day. Depending on its effectiveness and the side effects it causes, your doctor will increase or decrease the dose of glivec.
In the case of children, it will be the specialist who will indicate how many tablets to take and this will depend on the situation of the child, their body weight and height. The truth is that the daily dose should not exceed 800 mg.
Among the most common side effects that occur during treatment are: symptoms of infection (fever, chills, sore throat), bleeding or bruising, weight gain (usually due to glivec causing the body to retain fluids). Other discomforts are: nausea, vomiting, headache, diarrhea, rash, tiredness, muscle cramps, swollen ankles, puffy eyes. It is important that if the patient presents any of these discomforts, they immediately go to their treating doctor.
