Patient-Reported Outcomes in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Small Lymphocytic Leukemia
According to a recent real-world study on patients treated for chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL), the quality-of-life scores (QoL) over the first 12 months remained stable on the informCLL Registry across line of therapy (LOT) and treatment (Value in Health 2022; doi.org/10.1016/j.jval.2022.04.1466).
Jeff P Sharman, MD, Willamette Valley Cancer Institute/US Oncology, Eugene, OR and colleague evaluated patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in the real-world setting for patients in the informCLL Registry receiving treatment for CLL and SLL.
Eligible patients were enrolled from 178 sites (October 2015 -June 2019). PROs were evaluated using the FACT-G questionnaire (score range, 0-108; higher scores suggest better QoL; minimally important difference for change in FACT-G total score: 5 points).
Scores at baseline and at 6 and 12 months on study were evaluated by LOT and treatment and data were examined utilizing descriptive statistics and a generalized linear model.
Among the 1462 patients enrolled, baseline FACT-G data were accessible for 1423 patients (previously untreated [first-line], 834 [59%]; relapsed/refractory, 589 [41%]). Average age was 71 (range: 34-95) years and average Charlson Comorbidity Index score was 1 (range: 0-11).
The most common therapies across LOT were ibrutinib (46%), chemoimmunotherapy (33%), and immunotherapy (13%). Median baseline FACT-G score was 87 for the first-line cohort (ibrutinib, 88; chemoimmunotherapy, 86) and 86 for the relapsed/refractory cohort (ibrutinib, 88; chemoimmunotherapy, 85).
In multivariate analyses, factors significantly linked with lower baseline FACT-G scores across LOT were younger age, poorer Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status, and higher comorbidity burden; additional factors for the first-line cohort were shorter time from diagnosis to treatment initiation, non-Caucasian race, and non-private health insurance.
At months 6 and 12, FACT-G scores for the first line cohort were available for 559/834 (67%) and 432/834 (52%) patients, respectively; for the relapsed/refractory cohort, corresponding values were 387/589 (66%) and 280/589 (48%).
At both the 6 and 12 month mark, the average changes in FACT-G scores (≤ 2 points) from baseline were not clinically meaningful changes for first-line or relapsed/refractory cohorts (nor for subsets of ibrutinib or chemoimmunotherapy cohorts).
Researchers concluded, “In this real-world analysis of patients treated for CLL/SLL, QoL scores remained stable over the first 12 months on the registry across LOT and treatment type.”
