Key clinical point: Tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy is associated with a higher burden of adverse events in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Later-generation TKIs may have greater toxicity than imatinib.
Major finding: The 5-year cumulative incidence of almost all major organ system outcomes was significantly higher for the CML + TKI vs. noncancer group ( P less than .05). In the first year, later-generation TKIs vs. imatinib were associated with primary infections (hazard ratio [HR], 1.43; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-2.00), circulatory events (HR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.01-1.31), and skin issues (HR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.13-1.80). Musculoskeletal and nervous system/sensory issues were less common with later-generation TKIs vs. imatinib (HR, 0.83-0.84; P less than .05).
Study details: This real-world analysis of health plan enrollees evaluated adverse events in CML patients treated with TKI (n = 1,200) compared with a noncancer cohort (n = 7,635; median follow-up, approximately 3 years).
Disclosures: The study was funded by Stand Up To Cancer, the American Association for Cancer Research, and the U.S. National Institutes of Health. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
Source: Chow EJ et al. Leuk Lymphoma. 2020 Dec 7. doi: 10.1080/10428194.2020.1855340 .