Posted 11 January 2017 - 08:10 AM
I was dx in late September 2016 and started on Tasigna 300mg twice a day. I had three confirmed squamous cell skin cancers in the following 3 months plus an additional 20 some suspicious spots frozen by my dermatologist. I have never previously had skin cancer, only a few precancerous spots removed. She thinks this is being caused by the Tasigna and on December 14th she recommended I start Soriatane, but I declined after reviewing the side effects profile and decided to seek a second opinion. My oncologist does not know what s causing this and says there is no known link between Tasigna and any other form of cancer; my PCP thinks it is my compromised immune system from the CML and he suggested I defer on taking the Soriatane.
Since December 14th, I have a a significant decline in the number of suspicious spots, bumps etc, so I was beginning to think that the situation was improving. Yesterday I saw a dermatologist as Mayo. I showed her the only 3 suspicious spots, all on my left lower leg, that had developed since December 14. She suspects more cancer and biopsied all 3 sites. She was ambivalent about Soriatane, but did offer an alternative with fewer side effects - Nicotinamide (also Niacinamide) 500mg twice a day, which is a Vitamin B3 derivative. I started that last night. An Australian study in 2015 showed statistically significant decline (23%) in non-melanoma skin cancers in group using Niacinamide versus placebo.
Dealing with the skin issues and CML is pretty tough, but I do not want to stop the Tasigna since I reached MMR in just 83 days!! If these last 3 biopsies are positive I am going to contact Novartis (maker of Tasigna) directly).
Dx 9/26/16 WBC 28800; platelets 749; FISH 97% PCR 43%
Tasigna 600MG per day
October 2016 PCR 22% IS
November 2016 PCR 5.8% IS
December 2016 PCR 0.1% IS MMR!!
March 10, 2017 PCR 0.006% IS MR 4.22
Tasigna 450MG per day
April 5, 2017 PCR <.003% IS
June 5, 2017 PCR <.003% IS (dose reduction validated!!!)
Tasigna 300MG per day starting June 15, 2017
6-day drug break starting June 20, 2017 due to multiple AE's
July 24, 2017 PCR <.003% IS
September 18, 2017 Negative, AKA PCRU
Tasigna 150mg per day starting 9/18/17
October 30, 2017 Negative
December 11, 2017 Negative