Long-term outcomes of dasatinib-induced pulmonary arterial hypertension: A population-based study

Abstract

This study aimed to describe the long-term outcomes of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) induced by dasatinib. 21 incident, right heart catheterisation-confirmed cases of dasatinib-induced PAH were identified from the French Pulmonary Hypertension Registry. Clinical and haemodynamic variables were compared from baseline to last follow-up (median (range) 24 (1-81) months). Median age was 52 years and 15 patients were female (71%). 19 patients received dasatinib for chronic myelogenous leukaemia for a median (range) duration of 42 (8-74) months before PAH diagnosis. No bone morphogenic protein receptor-2 (BMPR2) mutations were found in the 10 patients tested. Dasatinib was uniformly discontinued and 11 patients received PAH medications. Four patients died during followup. New York Heart Association functional class improved from 76% in class III/IV to 90% in class I/II (p<0.01). Median (range) 6-min walk distance improved from 306 (0-660) to 430 (165-635) m (p<0.01). Median (range) mean pulmonary arterial pressure improved from 45 (30-70) to 26 (17-50) mmHg (p<0.01) and pulmonary vascular resistance from 6.1 (3.2-27.3) to 2.6 (1.2-5.9) Wood units (p<0.01). Patients treated with PAH medications had worse baseline haemodynamics but similar long-term outcomes to untreated patients. PAH persisted in 37% of patients. Dasatinib-induced PAH frequently improves after discontinuation but persisted in over one-third of patients, therefore systematic follow-up is essential.