KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The study aimed to investigate the temporal patterns, frequency, and types of SPMs in treated and untreated CLL pts in the USA.
- Researchers noticed significant implications for clinical practice as treatment type and timing were identified as influential factors in the development of SPMs in pts with CLL.
Improved management of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has resulted in a growing population of CLL survivors and, consequently, an increased risk of SPMs compared to the general population. This retrospective cohort study utilizes the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Medicare database, which links a nationally representative cancer registry with Medicare claims data, to comprehensively investigate the timing, frequency, incidence, and types of SPMs among treated and untreated patients (pts) with CLL in the USA.
Sikander Ailawadhi and his team aimed to access the wealth of real-world data to shed light on the unique challenges CLL survivors face.
Researchers performed an inclusive analysis, selecting pts aged ≥66 years newly diagnosed with CLL between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2016, enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B for ≥12 months pre-diagnosis. Follow-up extended for ≥36 months or until the end of continuous enrollment in Medicare Parts A, B, and D, a switch to a health maintenance organization, death, or study period conclusion (December 2019).
About 3053 pts were included in the analyses, with 620 (20.3%) undergoing treatment and 2433 (79.7%) remaining untreated within 36 months of diagnosis. Overall, 638 (20.9%) pts developed a SPM, comprising 26.8% in the treated cohort and 19.4% in the untreated cohort. The predominant SPMs for both groups were squamous cell carcinoma and acute myeloid leukemia. Among the 166 treated pts who developed an SPM, a significantly greater proportion experienced their first SPM after treatment initiation compared to those who developed it before treatment initiation (P < 0.001). Notably, a lower percentage of pts receiving targeted therapy developed an SPM (P < 0.05) compared to those treated with anti-CD20+ chemotherapy.
The study concluded that treatment type and timing notably influence the development of SPMs in CLL pts. When considered alongside previous findings, these insights provide valuable guidance for establishing best practices in monitoring SPMs in individuals with CLL.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38294335/
Ailawadhi S, Ravelo A, Ng CD, et al. “Assessment of second primary malignancies among treated and untreated patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia using real-world data from the USA.” J Comp Eff Res. 2024 Feb;13(2):e230119. doi: 10.57264/cer-2023-0119. Epub 2024 Jan 31. PMID: 38294335.
