[Cardiovascular management of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia from a multidisciplinary perspective, and proposing action protocol by consensus meeting]

Multidisciplinary management in chronic myeloid leukemia improves cardiovascular risk measured by SCORE

Introduction: Cardiovascular events are one of the main long-term complications in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) receiving treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). The proper choice of TKI and the adequate management of risk factors may reduce cardiovascular comorbidity in this population. Methods: This study evaluated the cardiovascular risk of a cohort of patients with CML at diagnosis and after follow-up in a specialized cardiovascular risk consultation. In order to do this, we performed data analysis from 35 patients who received TKIs and were referred to the aforementioned consultation between 2015 and 2018 at our center. Cardiovascular risk factors were analyzed separately, as well as integrated into the cardiovascular SCORE, both at diagnosis and at the last visit to the specialized consultation. Results: At the time of diagnosis, 60% had some type of risk factor, 20% had a high or very high risk SCORE, 40% had an intermediate risk, and 40% belonged to the low risk category. During follow-up, the main cardiovascular adverse event observed was hypertension (diagnosed in 8 patients, 23%). 66% of patients quit smoking, achieving control of blood pressure in 95%, diabetes in 50%, weight in 76%, and dyslipidemia in 92%. 5.7% of patients suffered a thrombotic event and a significant percentage of patients showed a reduction in their SCORE. Conclusion: Our study shows the benefit of controlling cardiovascular risk factors through follow-up in a specialized consultation for patients with CML treated with TKI.

Analysis of the multidisciplinary approach for the management of patients affected by chronic myeloid leukaemia

Background

Chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) is a pathological clinical condition with a yearly incidence between 10 and 15 cases per million people, 14 in Italy. Its incidence increases with age, reaching 20–25 yearly cases per million individuals in people over 70 years. A growing importance has been given to the need of a multidisciplinary approach (MDA) for the management of patients with CML.

Objective

To analyse the importance of MDA as compared with the current Italian standard of care for the management of CML patients based on the involvement of several health professional figures.

Methods

A group of healthcare professionals from several healthcare structures were gathered in a first Advisory Board (AB) and divided into as many groups as the number of belonging health structures representative of the Italian provision of therapeutic approaches for CML. In a second AB, the results were validated by the same panel of experts.

Results

The number of dedicated health professionals within the dedicated ward ranged from 1 to 13. Most structures rely on several professionals intervening only in case of necessity. Only one centre provides a booking service based on clinical needs to avoid waiting times. Most centres report there is basically no disagreement in the definition of the clinical pathway and there is a high adherence to national and international CML guidelines.

Conclusions

The development of forms of interorganisational and interprofessional coordination to improve the diagnosis and the treatment of CML patients have been for long on the agenda of policy makers, managers and professionals for more than 20 years. This analysis represents a starting reference to consider for the evaluation of an MDA in the Italian context.

Predictive indicators of successful tyrosine kinase inhibitor discontinuation in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia

Clinical trials have demonstrated that some patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) treated for several years with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) who have maintained a molecular response can successfully discontinue treatment without relapsing. Treatment free remission (TFR) can be reached by approximately 50% of patients who discontinue. Despite having similar levels of deep molecular response and an identical duration of treatment, the factors that influence the successful discontinuation of CML patients remain to be determined. In this review we will explore the factors identified to date that can help predict whether a patient will successfully achieve TFR. We will also discuss the need for the identification of predictive biomarkers associated with a high probability of achieving TFR for the future personalized identification of patients who are suitable for the discontinuation of TKI treatment.

Long-Term Survival, Vascular Occlusive Events and Efficacy Biomarkers of First-Line Treatment of CML: A Meta-Analysis

Large randomized clinical trials and prior meta-analyses indicate that second-generation BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) improve surrogate biomarkers in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) without providing survival benefits. The objective is to evaluate the long-term efficacy and the occurrence of vascular occlusion with second-generation BCR-ABL TKIs compared with imatinib in patients with CML. Three scientific databases, a clinical registry and abstracts from congress were searched to identify all randomized controlled trials that compared a second-generation BCR-ABL TKI to imatinib in patients with CML. Outcomes extracted were overall survival, major molecular response and complete cytogenetic response, arterial occlusive events and venous thromboembolism. These data were synthesized by odds ratios using a fixed-effect model. This meta-analysis included 4659 participants from 14 trials. Second-generation BCR-ABL TKIs did not improve overall survival compared with imatinib, even at longer follow-up (OR, 1.17 (95% CI, 0.91–1.52)). They improved surrogate biomarkers at 12 and 24 months but increased the risk of arterial occlusion (OR_PETO, 2.81 (95% CI, 2.11–3.73)). The long-term benefits of second-generation TKIs are restricted to surrogate outcomes and do not translate into prolonged survival compared to imatinib. Given the long-term use, frontline therapy should be chosen carefully, with special attention to the patients’ quality of life and cardiovascular risks.

BCR-ABL Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors: Which Mechanism(s) May Explain the Risk of Thrombosis?

Imatinib, the first-in-class BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), had been a revolution for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and had greatly enhanced patient survival. Second- (dasatinib, nilotinib, and bosutinib) and third-generation (ponatinib) TKIs have been developed to be effective against BCR-ABL mutations making imatinib less effective. However, these treatments have been associated with arterial occlusive events. This review gathers clinical data and experiments about the pathophysiology of these arterial occlusive events with BCR-ABL TKIs. Imatinib is associated with very low rates of thrombosis, suggesting a potentially protecting cardiovascular effect of this treatment in patients with BCR-ABL CML. This protective effect might be mediated by decreased platelet secretion and activation, decreased leukocyte recruitment, and anti-inflammatory or antifibrotic effects. Clinical data have guided mechanistic studies toward alteration of platelet functions and atherosclerosis development, which might be secondary to metabolism impairment. Dasatinib, nilotinib, and ponatinib affect endothelial cells and might induce atherogenesis through increased vascular permeability. Nilotinib also impairs platelet functions and induces hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia that might contribute to atherosclerosis development. Description of the pathophysiology of arterial thrombotic events is necessary to implement risk minimization strategies.