Effects of bosutinib on long-term quality of life in patients with CML

This trial explored the effect of bosutinib (Bosulif) on the long-term health-related quality of life of chronic myeloid leukemia patients who did not respond to other treatments. This study concluded that bosutinib did not significantly affect long-term health-related quality of life.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are a main treatment option for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). TKIs block tyrosine kinase, a protein involved in cancer growth. Examples of TKIs include imatinib (Gleevec) and dasatinib (Sprycel). TKIs are very effective in CML, but can lead to multiple side effects. These side effects can decrease health-related quality of life and can lead to the patient stopping treatment.

Bosutinib is a TKI used in patients who have not responded to other treatments. In one study of 288 CML patients, common negative side effects included diarrhea, nausea, rash, and vomiting. These each occurred in 9% of patients. A 5-year follow-up showed that patients continued to respond to treatment and there were no new side effects. Because patients with CML require treatment for many years, it is important to understand the long-term effects on health-related quality of life.

This study followed 403 patients treated with bosutinib. Patients had chronic-phase CML, and had received two or three previous treatments. Patients were followed for 264 weeks or more. Health-related quality of life was measured using questionnaires every 12 weeks.

There were no significant changes in health-related quality of life over the course of the study. This included factors such as mobility, ability to carry out normal activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression. There were no significant changes in quality of life for a subset of patients who experienced chronic diarrhea. 

This study concluded that bosutinib was safe and well-tolerated in the long-term for CML patients who had not responded to other treatments.

This study did not directly compare long-term health-related quality of life in patients treated with bosutinib to patients treated with other TKIs.