Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia is usually treated with Gleevec, which apparently can control the disease but never get rid of it.
However, adding common diabetes drugs might help eradicate the residual dormant drug-resistant cancer cells lying in the bone marrow. Researchers found that patients who received a glitazone -- a class of drug for type 2 diabetes -- along with the standard CML drug imatinib (Gleevec) remained disease-free for up to nearly five years. The glitazones seem to pre-sensitise the cancer cells to attack by Gleevec. Without the Glitzones, the dormant cells can sometimes suddenly become highly aggressive.
These are still early days for this work – typical gltazones are Actos and Avandia.
The disease is found mainly in adults, and tends to be slow growing with 94 per cent of patients surviving 5 years. However, it can suddenly become aggressive.
The study was published online Sept. 2 in the journal Nature.