Adverse events, quality of life, and work impairment in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)—a survey of first- and second-line tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) intolerance in the US

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) improve survival for people with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) but may cause adverse events (AEs) that impair quality of life (QoL). Adults with CML receiving first- or second-line TKI therapy in the United States (US) completed validated questionnaires to assess AEs (PRO-CTCAE), QoL (PROMIS Global Physical Health [GPH] and Global Mental Health [GMH]), and work productivity and activity impairment (WPAI:SHP). Of 271 participants, 76.4% experienced ≥1 AE (median 3 [range 0–14]), with the most common being fatigue (53.9%), pain (44.3%), and gastrointestinal symptoms (36.9%). Mean (SD) GPH and GMH T-scores were worse than general population averages (50) at 42.6 (7.0) and 44.4 (7.7), respectively. Mean (SD) activity impairment was 37.3% (24.6). Chronic AEs were associated with worse GPH/GMH T-scores and activity impairment (p < 0.05). The findings demonstrate the relationship between TKI-related AEs and QoL for US patients and the need for improved management strategies.