Cancer Doctors and Medical Websites Should Take Tasigna's Atherosclerosis Risks More Seriously

Doctors know that cancer patients have much on their minds when choosing a cancer treatment and may not think the patients can handle making a Tasigna atherosclerosis decision

Monday, February 18, 2019 - Cancer patients that take the chemotherapy drug Tasigna must be constantly monitored for signs that they are developing atherosclerosis, a narrowing of the arteries caused by a buildup of a fatty material called plaque. When plaque builds up the blood's passageways become narrowed therefore less and less nutrient and oxygen-rich blood makes its way to the extremities of the feet and toes, the furthest points the blood has to travel. Cases of atherosclerosis are relatively rare compared to other adverse chemotherapy side effects therefore, little or no attention is given to the drug's risk of causing atherosclerosis. RXlist.com, for example, lists a great many symptoms of Tasigna such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, rash, temporary hair loss, night sweats, pain in your bones, spine, joints, or muscles, headache, feeling tired, runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, cough, and sore throat. The fact that Tasigna causes life-threatening atherosclerosis in approximately 10-15% of its patients does not make the adverse symptoms list. Instead, Tasigna atherosclerosis risks appear buried under the general category "Cardiac and Arterial Vascular Occlusive Events " in the middle of the page with no emphasis given. When one clicks through, and no-one would ever think to click through, it is disturbing to find that RX List points to a clinical trial and post-marketing reports on Tasigna that claims "arterial cardiovascular events" occurring in 9.3% to 15.2% of Tasigna patients.

Such a caviler attitude to such life-threatening symptoms reflects the fact that doctors may be ignoring the atherosclerosis risks altogether. In fact, I am confident that if you asked 100 Tasigna cancer chemotherapy patients if they knew that sudden death from heart attack, paralyzing strokes and the possibility of necrosis of the lower limbs requiring amputation was a side effect that no more than one or two would have been so informed.

One would think that any life-threatening side effect occurring in more than 10% of patients would deserve more attention and the Tasigna.com website provide clear instructions for what cancer doctors must do to avoid causing atherosclerosis in their Tasigna patients. Doctors that prescribe Tasigna are required to constantly monitor their patients for signs of atherosclerosis. The first heart test is to question the patient as to their family's history of heart disease and to ask if the patient has ever suffered from high blood pressure or other blood-abnormality. The cancer doctor is required to perform an electrocardiogram (ECG) on each potential Tasigna recipient to serve as the baseline for comparison with other ECG's to be performed weekly and eventually monthly. Most cancer doctors are so intent on getting their cancer patients into remission, atherosclerosis and its risks are of little concern to them and they may not even bring up this life-threatening side effect for fear that the patient may not want to take the risks. Granted, cancer is a clear and present threat to the patient's life that must be addressed first but how many patients would look for a less-toxic alternative if they were given the option? A patient suffering from cancer may not view their right to make an informed decision as the most pressing matter at that moment.

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