Can't I stop taking Dasatinib/Startase?

Dasatinib (Dasatinib) is a targeted drug widely used to treat chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Its main mechanism of action is to inhibit the growth signals of leukemia cells and inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells by inhibiting BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase. Therefore, dasatinib is widely used in leukemia patients who are refractory to traditional treatment options (such as chemotherapy), especially in the treatment of CML and ALL, with significant efficacy.

As to the question "Can Dasatinib not be stopped once taken?", the answer is: not in all cases, the drug cannot be stopped, but the discontinuation must be done under the guidance of a doctor. For patients receiving dasatinib, decisions about continuation of treatment and discontinuation of treatment need to be based on the patient's specific condition, drug tolerance, and side effects.

Dasatinib is a long-term maintenance treatment drug, especially for patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), who usually require long-term medication to maintain disease control. Many patients can achieve deep molecular remission (DMR) through long-term dasatinib treatment, which means that the number of cancer cells is greatly reduced and the disease is effectively controlled. For such patients, sudden discontinuation of medication may lead to relapse of the disease, so the medication needs to be discontinued gradually under the supervision of a doctor.

However, discontinuation may be considered in patients who experience severe side effects or have poor tolerance to the drug, especially if the side effects of dasatinib are not effectively controlled. Discontinuation of a drug is not an immediate decision and usually requires a doctor's evaluation and gradual adjustment of the drug dose. For example, for some patients, doctors may choose to reduce the dose of the drug or switch to other treatment options to ensure the patient's therapeutic effect while minimizing the side effects of the drug.

Reference materials:https://go.drugbank.com/drugs/DB01254