Hi Trey, My husband had a few high RDW values when he first started Gleevec and then the RDW normalized and has stayed normal for 3 years. Since you started Gleevec not so long ago, maybe with time, yours will become normal.
RDW is red cell distribution width, it looks at the variation in size of the red blood cells. And higher number means greater variation in size. High RDW without other erythrocyte indices being affected can be associated with vitamin B12 deficiency but I guess your doc has checked that. Also, folate deficiency. Many Gleevec patients I know take folic acid prescribed by their doctors. It helps in the production of blood cells. Gleevec does inhibit C-kit and can suppress red blood cell production. http://www.fpnotebook.com/HEM85.htm Interestingly, there was a study of RDW done on Gleevec patients and presented in the last ASH meeting. The doctors found that RDW will normalize with time. I have given the abstract below. Hope your RDW goes down with time. Let us know your 6 month BMB results, and good luck. Best Wishes, Anjana caregiver to Roy d/x Jan 2002 400mg Gleevec CCR Sep 2002 [4882] Hematologic Remission of Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia after Treatment with Imatinib Includes Normalization of the Red Cell Distribution Width. Session Type: Publication Only Joel David Bessman, Maria Montoya Internal Medicine (Hematology-Oncology), University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA After treatment with imatinib, the majority of patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) achieve hematologic remission. This includes normalization of blood counts (red cells, white cells, and platelets) normalization of the white cell differential, and disappearance of abnormal immature cells from the peripheral blood. However, abnormal erythropoiesis may be more subtle than abnormal red cell counts. We reviewed two other indices of erythropoiesis, the mean cell volume (MCV) and the red cell distribution width (RDW). We studied 15 patients with a diagnosis of CML confirmed by BCR-ABL, in whom the first-line therapy was imatinib. Treatment dosage varied from 400 - 800 mg/day. Pre-treatment, all patients had an elevated white cell count, 14 of 15 had a low hemoglobin, and 11 of 15 had an abnormal high platelet count. None had an abnormal MCV (mean, 91.3, range 82 - 97), and 13 of 15 had an abnormal RDW (mean 16.2, range 14.1 - 19.2). After treatment was started, all 15 achieved a normal white cell count, hemoglobin, and platelet count within 3 months. All continued to have a normal MCV, with no apparent change (mean 92.1, range 82 - 98). However, after treatment 14 of 15 developed a normal RDW (mean 13.7, range 12.0 - 15.2). The RDW progressively declined during the first 3 months after treatment and reached an asymptote at that time. We conclude that hematopoiesis normalizes qualitatively as well as quantitatively after successful imatinib therapy of CML. Future study will determine whether an isolated elevated RDW will predict relapse or briefer duration of remission. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ [CMLHope] A support group of http://cmlhope.com ------------------------------------------------- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "CMLHope" group. To post to this group, send email to CMLHope@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/CMLHope -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
