However, because imatinib i) was previously shown to inhibit the major erythrocyte tyrosine kinase (syk) that phosphorylates band 3 [28], ii) was the only inhibitor tested that is FDA-approved for use in children [29, 30], and iii) can be taken daily in perpetuity by cancer patients with little associated toxicity [31, 32], this tyrosine kinase inhibitor was selected for further investigation. This evidence concerns the gene SYK and cancer.