Key clinical point: Patients with chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML-CP) who achieved an early (within 24 months) complete cytogenetic response (CCyR) to tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy (responders) had more favorable outcomes. However, continued TKI therapy led to late responses in a proportion of patients initially refractory to TKIs (nonresponders).
Major finding: During a median follow-up of 8.1 years, responders vs non-responders had significantly higher overall survival (93% vs 85%) and progression-free survival (93% vs 75%; both P less than .001) and lower progression to blast phase (1.9% vs 10.4%; P = .004). However, 34% of early nonresponders achieved CCyR with continued TKI therapy.
Study details: Findings are from a retrospective analysis of 305 adult patients with CML-CP treated with TKIs between 2001 and 2014.
Disclosures: This work was supported by the Thomas H. Brown Research Fund for Blood Cancers. M Talpaz reported ties with Novartis US and Takeda. Other authors declared no conflict of interests.
Source: Shaya J et al. Clin Lymphoma Myeloma Leuk. 2021 Jul 18. doi: 10.1016/j.clml.2021.07.001 .