Similar Efficacy of Dasatinib and Nilotinib As Second-Line Therapy in Patients with Chronic Phase Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Failing Imatinib: A Retrospective, Real-Life Study

Background. Use of 2^nd generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors (2G-TKIs) dasatinib (DAS) and nilotinib (NIL) in chronic phase (CP) chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients failing imatinib (IM) results in around 50% of sustained cytogenetic response, and around 40% major molecular response (MMR). However, these are historical data and it's unclear if there's a significant difference in efficacy of the two 2G-TKIs, especially in the long-term.

Aims and methods. We retrospectively analysed 163 CP-CML patients resistant or intolerant to IM that received either DAS (n=95) or NIL (n=68) as second-line therapy. We compared the characteristics of the two groups at the time of CML diagnosis and at the time of IM failure, including the cause of switch to 2G-TKI, duration of IM therapy, IM dose escalation and Hammersmith score to predict the probability of response to 2G-TKIs. Cytogenetic and molecular responses were evaluated according to the ELN recommendations. Sustained deep molecular response (DMR) was defined as MR4 or better lasting ≥ 2 years, ongoing at the last contact, and with at least a Q-PCR test every 6 months. Time to treatment failure (TTF) was calculated from the start of 2G-TKI to any of the followings: progression to accelerated or blast phase (ABP), death for any cause at any time, treatment discontinuation for primary or secondary resistance or intolerance. Progression free survival (PFS) was calculated from the start of 2G-TKI to ABP or death. Overall survival (OS) was calculated from the start of 2G-TKI to death.

Results. DAS and NIL cohorts were comparable for age, sex and risk score (Sokal and EUTOS) at diagnosis. Median duration of IM therapy was similar (DAS 19 months, NIL 14 months), but 27/95 patients (28%) had IM dose escalation before DAS compared to only 9/68 (13%) before NIL (p=0.03). There was a higher rate of switch to DAS than to NIL for secondary resistance (26/95, 27% vs 7/68, 10%; p=0.01) while more patients changed from IM to NIL due to intolerance (31/68, 46%, vs 21/95, 22% for DAS; p=0.002). Rates of primary resistance did not differ (47/95, 49% for DAS vs 28/68, 41% for NIL; p=0.37), as well as other causes of switch (1/95, 1% for DAS vs 2/68, 3% for NIL; p=0.77). Hammersmith score was almost identical in the two groups.

Complete cytogenetic response (CCyR) was attained in 53/73 (73%) patients not in CCyR at the time of DAS start, and in 31/48 (65%) patients not in CCyR at the time of NIL start (p=0.46). Mean time to CCyR was similar (7.1 months for DAS and 5.3 months for NIL; p=0.30).

MMR was achieved in 55/89 (65%) patients not in MMR at the time of DAS start and in 39/61 (65%) patients not in MMR at the time of NIL start (p=0.82). Again, mean time to MMR was not different in the DAS e NIL cohorts (12.4 vs. 8.5 months; p=0.14).

DMR was obtained in 39/88 (44%) patients not in DMR at the time of DAS start and in 30/65 (46%) patients not in DMR at the time of NIL start (p=0.95). Sustained DMR was evaluable in 127 patients: 37 patients (29%) achieved sustained DMR, without difference between DAS (24/82, 29%) and NIL (13/45, 29%; p=1.00).

With a median follow-up of 44 months (range 1-124), 5-year TTF was similar for DAS (65%, 95%CI 52-75%) and NIL (61%, 95%CI 43-74%; p=0.40) [Figure 1a]. Thirty-two of 95 patients (34%) stopped DAS due to toxicity (19/32, 59%), resistance (11/32, 31%) or other causes (3/32, 10%); 22/68 patients (32%) interrupted NIL for toxicity (11/22, 50%), resistance (8/22, 36%) or other causes (3/22, 14%). Probability of survival and progression were almost identical, with a 5-year PFS of 84% (95%CI 68-89%) for DAS and 92% (95%CI 79-97%) for NIL (p=0.27) [Figure 1b] and a 5-year OS of 89% (95%CI 78-95%) and 96% (95%CI 85-99%) (p=0.31), respectively.

Conclusions. With the limits of a retrospective analysis, our data suggest similar efficacy of DAS and NIL after IM failure in CP-CML, with rates of cytogenetic and molecular responses higher than those previously reported and excellent long-term survival. Around 30% achieved sustained DMR with second-line therapy, thus being potentially candidate for TKI discontinuation.