Chronic myeloid leukemia outcomes according to baseline risk and first-line treatment in real-world settings: Data...

Improved outcome has been reported in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in sponsored trials.

This is a multicenter prospective cohort study of consecutive patients with newly diagnosed chronic phase CML from 19 regions in Italy. Baseline treatments and prognostic factors on time to first optimal molecular response (≥ molecular response 3, MR3), time to disease progression, time to death from CML, and overall survival (OS) were analyzed using multivariable Fine and Gray models.

The authors included 1433 CML patients: 49% (median age, 70 years) treated with frontline imatinib (IMA), and 51% treated with second-generation TKIs (2G-TKIs; median age, 52 years). EUTOS long-term survival (ELTS) was low in 68.1% of 2G-TKIs patients, compared to 50.4% of IMA patients. Faster molecular responses were observed with 2G-TKIs within the first 6 months and maintained thereafter (subhazard ratio [sHR], 1.31; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15-1.50). Female gender and low ELTS risk had faster time of response. Achieving major molecular response (MMR or MR3) was associated with reduced risk of progression at 6 and 12 months. Overall, 41 patients progressed without differences between IMA and 2G-TKIs. Intermediate and high risk ELTS showed higher risk of progression and death from CML. Twenty-two CML-related deaths (16.5%) occurred mostly in the first 2 years from diagnosis, higher in 2G-TKIs patients (sHR, 1.75; 95% CI, 0.52-5.87). OS at 5 years was 88% with no clear differences between IMA and 2G-TKIs treatment after adjustment for potential confounders.

The study confirms faster responses with 2G-TKIs compared to IMA but similar clinical outcomes and a strong prognostic effect of ELTS.