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Gynecomastia in a male after dasatinib treatment for chronic myeloid leukemia

Leukemia volume 22, pages 2127–2128 (2008)Cite this article

Treatment with oncogenic tyrosine kinase inhibitors has led to a dramatic change in the overall survival rates of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).1 Dasatinib is an oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor of bcr-abl, Src, c-kit and the platelet-derived growth factor receptor-alpha and -beta (PDGFR-α, PDGFR-β). Like imatinib, it has been shown to be safe and effective in patients with CML.2 Both drugs are capable of prompting interaction with different enzyme cascades but their mechanism of action and side effects are still under investigation. For example, c-kit, PDGFR-α and PDGFR-β are also important signal transduction modulators in testis organogenesis, Leydig's cell differentiation and recruitment, spermatogenesis and steroidogenesis, whereas Src supports spermatogenesis and fertility by acting as a signal transductor for testosterone action in Sertoli cells.3, 4 The authors of two recent reports document several cases of gynecomastia in male patients treated with imatinib for CML or gastrointestinal stromal tumor and hypothesize a mechanism by which the drug reduces testosterone production through the block of PDGFR and c-kit in the testis.5, 6

We describe gynecomastia and its management in a male patient after treatment with dasatinib for CML.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cattedra di Ematologia, PO ‘R Binaghi’, Università di Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy

    G Caocci, S Atzeni, A Ledda & G La Nasa

  2. Cattedra di Genetica Medica, PO ‘R Binaghi’, Università di Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy

    N Orrù, L Azzena, L Martorana & R Littera

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  1. G Caocci
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  2. S Atzeni
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Correspondence to G Caocci.

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Caocci, G., Atzeni, S., Orrù, N. et al. Gynecomastia in a male after dasatinib treatment for chronic myeloid leukemia. Leukemia 22, 2127–2128 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/leu.2008.106

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