TABLE 1.
Characteristics of Patients Newly Diagnosed with CML Receiving First-Line TKI Therapy
| Total number of patients | 1,431 |
| At the Index Date | |
| Demographic characteristics | |
| Age at the index date, years, mean ± SD [median] | 54.29 ± 13.49 [55] |
| 65 + years, n (%) | 273 (19.1) |
| Female, n (%) | 665 (46.5) |
| Health plan type,a n (%) | |
| Low flexibility plan | 284 (19.8) |
| Middle flexibility plan | 999 (69.8) |
| High flexibility plan | 148 (10.3) |
| Region of residence, n (%) | |
| South | 530 (37.0) |
| Northeast | 281 (19.6) |
| Midwest | 204 (14.3) |
| West | 191 (13.3) |
| North Central | 198 (13.8) |
| Unknown | 27 (1.9) |
| Index year, n (%) | |
| 2010 | 91 (6.4) |
| 2011 | 483 (33.8) |
| 2012 | 440 (30.7) |
| 2013 | 359 (25.1) |
| 2014 | 58 (4.1) |
| Index treatment, n (%) | |
| Imatinib | 668 (46.7) |
| Started on lower starting dose (200 mg/day-300 mg/day) | 33 (4.9) |
| Started on recommended starting dose (400 mg/day) | 605 (42.3) |
| Started on higher starting dose (500 mg/day-1,000 mg/day) | 30 (4.5) |
| Dasatinib | 443 (31.0) |
| Started on lower starting dose (20 mg/day-90 mg/day) | 14 (3.2) |
| Started on recommended starting dose (100 mg/day) | 404 (28.2) |
| Started on higher starting dose (from 140 mg/day-210 mg/day) | 25 (5.6) |
| Nilotinib | 320 (22.4) |
| Started on lower starting dose (150 mg/day-400 mg/day) | 20 (6.3) |
| Started on recommended starting dose (600 mg/day) | 247 (17.3) |
| Started on higher starting dose (650 mg/day-1,000 mg/day) | 53 (16.6) |
| During Study Period | |
| Darkow Disease Complexity Index,29 n (%) | |
| Mild | 601 (42.0) |
| Moderate | 509 (35.6) |
| Severe | 321 (22.4) |
| Number of qPCR monitoring tests, mean ± SD [median] | 1.61 ± 1.50 [1] |
| 0 qPCR, n (%) | 517 (36.1) |
| 1 qPCR, n (%) | 226 (15.8) |
| 2 qPCR, n (%) | 208 (14.5) |
| 3 qPCR, n (%) | 257 (18.0) |
| 4 qPCR, n (%) | 223 (15.6) |
| Adherence to TKI therapy, MPR, mean ± SD [median] | 0.86 ± 0.22 [0.96] |
| ≥ 0.80, n (%) | 1,069 (74.7) |
| CCI30 (excluding CML), mean ± SD [median] | 2.10 ± 1.95 [2] |
| 10 most prevalent comorbidities, n (%) | |
| Hypertension | 654 (45.7) |
| Hyperlipidemia | 563 (39.3) |
| Anemia | 491 (34.3) |
| Diabetes | 347 (24.2) |
| Cardiovascular disease | 277 (19.4) |
| Chronic pulmonary disease | 223 (15.6) |
| Fluid electrolyte disorder | 214 (15.0) |
| Coagulopathy | 198 (13.8) |
| Hypothyroidism | 188 (13.1) |
| Valvular disease | 158 (11.0) |
| Annual health care resource utilization, mean ± SD [median] | |
| IP admissions | 0.36 ± 0.97 [0] |
| IP days | 3.10 ± 12.79 [0] |
| ER visits | 0.71 ± 2.09 [0] |
| Days with OP services | 28.60 ± 19.95 [25] |
| Health care cost per event, mean ± SD [median] | |
| IP costs | $32,496 ± 42,736 [16,335] |
| IP day costs | $3,660 ± 4,672 [2,262] |
| ER costs | $848 ± 1,481 [504] |
| OP costs | $313 ± 443 [197] |
aPlan flexibility is based on whether the primary care giver is assigned and whether there is patient incentive to use a certain provider.
CCI = Charlson-Quan Comorbidity Index; CML = chronic myeloid leukemia; ER = emergency room; IP = inpatient; MPR = medication possession ratio; OP = outpatient; qPCR = quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction; SD = standard deviation; TKI = tyrosine kinase inhibitor.