Dramatically improved survival associated with tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy has transformed the disease model for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) to one of long-term management, but treatment success is challenged with poor medication adherence. Many risk factors associated with poor adherence can be ameliorated by close monitoring, dose modification, and supportive care. Controlling risk factors for poor adherence in combination with patient education that includes direct communication between the health care team and the patient are essential components for maximizing the benefits of TKI therapy. Am. J. Hematol. 87:687-691, 2012. V V C 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
IntroductionThe last three decades have witnessed extraordinary advances in the treatment of chronic diseases, among which tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is perhaps one of the most outstanding examples. Between 1975 and 1977, the 5-year relative survival rate of patients with CML was only 24% [1]. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation offered a potential cure for a small subset of patients; however, the risk of serious infection, graft-versus-host disease, relapse, and mortality presented substantial limitations [2,3]. The introduction of imatinib (Gleevec 1 , Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, East Hanover, NJ) in 2001 replaced interferon-a as the standard of care for CML patients, with a result of remarkable improvement in patient survival. For example, the 8-year follow-up analysis of imatinib treatment in 553 CML patients participating in the International Randomized Study of Interferon versus STI571 demonstrated an overall survival (OS) rate of 85%; OS was 93% when only CMLrelated deaths and those before stem cell transplantation are considered [4]. With this prolonged survival and the recent approval of the more potent agents nilotinib (Tasigna 1 , Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, East Hanover, NJ) and dasatinib (Sprycel 1 , Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, NJ), which may be able to provide additional survival benefit, CML more closely resembles a chronic rather than a fatal disease. A new challenge has arisen, however, stemming directly from the success of TKI therapy. Poor medication adherence has come into focus as a major impediment to successful treatment of patients with CML: New evidence has shown that inadequate adherence to imatinib and suboptimal outcomes are inextricably linked [5][6][7].Difficulty in maintaining high medication adherence is not limited to TKI therapy or patients with CML, however. Indeed, the problem is pervasive across chronic conditions. For example, a 2003 report from the World Health Organization found the average rate of long-term adherence for diseases such as asthma, diabetes, hypertension, and tuberculosis was only about 50% in developed countries, and assumed to be even lower in developing countries where health resources are fewer and access to care is unpredictable [8]. The report identified five key areas that affect adherence, includin...