Adherence to tyrosine kinase inhibitor and clinical outcomes in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia

Purpose: To ensure optimal care for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), adherence to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) has emerged as a critical component. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of TKIs adherence on clinical outcomes in a cohort of Chinese CML patients who received treatment with TKIs.Methods: This retrospective study employed a cross-sectional design utilizing questionnaires to assess adherence to TKIs in a sample of 398 patients diagnosed with CML. Adherence was measured using the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8), which dichotomizes patients into low, medium, and high adherence groups.Results: Of the patients included in this study, 34.2% were classified as highly adherent, with 43.2% and 22.6% of patients categorized as having medium and low adherence, respectively. Compared to the low-adherence group, patients in the medium-and high-adherence groups exhibited significantly higher rates of achieving major molecular response (MMR) and lower rates of switching TKIs. Moreover, patients who failed to adhere to TKIs treatment demonstrated significantly lower event-free survival and failure-free survival compared to those in the high-adherence group. Notably, regular molecular monitoring and utilization of the "CML Academy" mobile application were positively associated with increased TKI adherence. On the other hand, patients receiving third generation or above first-line TKIs treatment displayed reduced adherence.Conclusion: The findings suggest that high adherence to TKIs treatment confers clinical benefits to patients with CML. Accordingly, the implementation of effective guidance and intervention measures aimed at promoting adherence to TKIs therapy in real-world settings is imperative.