Impaired glucose metabolism (IGM) with hyperglycemia represents one of the most frequently observed adverse events (AE) during nilotinib therapy of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). The exact mechanism of IGM remains controversial.
Although a case report has shown a decrease in insulin secretion, our previous pilot data suggested development of insulin resistance as a possible mechanism. In this prospective study we aimed to confirm results from our pilot study using a larger cohort of CML patients treated with nilotinib and to compare results with data obtained on control groups receiving imatinib and dasatinib.