Second cancers in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors

This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of second cancers in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).

This study concluded that the occurrence of overall second cancers in these patients is slightly higher than that of the general population.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are commonly used for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Patients treated with TKIs have near-normal life expectancies.  However, there is the possibility of developing second cancers for these patients.

The incidence of second malignancies in CML patients is still unknown.

This study involved 13,276 patients with newly diagnosed CML. They were followed-up for an average of 69 months. 4% of patients experienced a second malignancy in this time. Cumulative incidence (frequency in a time period) of death and second malignancies was measured. The standardized incidence ratio (SIR) was also measured. This is calculated as the ratio of the observed number of cases to the expected number of cases.  

The 5-year overall risk of death was 30.5%. This rate at 10 years was 41.8%. The 5-year occurrence of second cancers was 4.4%. The 10-year occurrence of second cancers was 7.2%. When compared to the general population, patients in this study had an increased risk of cancers of the male genital system, digestive system, skin, and urinary system.

This study concluded that the occurrence of overall second cancers in patients with CML treated with TKIs is slightly higher than that of the general population.

This study did not account for the type of TKI used. Also, other risk factors for secondary cancers were not evaluated. This might have influenced the results.