Interruption or Discontinuation of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Treatment in Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia: A Retrospective Cohort Study (SPARKLE) in Belgium.

Objectives: To assess interruptions/discontinuations of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment in Belgian patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML).

Methods: This retrospective study included patients with TKI interruptions/discontinuations of ≥4 continuous weeks (no clinical trial context) between May 2013 and May 2016. Data collection took place between October 2016 and February 2017.

Identification of chronic myeloid leukemia patients treated with imatinib who are potentially eligible for treatment discontinuation by assessing real-life molecular responses on the international scale in a EUTOS-certified lab.

A retrospective study was performed to describe molecular responses (MR) on the international scale (IS) in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) treated with imatinib in routine clinical practice in Belgium and to identify patients potentially eligible for treatment discontinuation. The analysis included 116 patients with CML in chronic phase at treatment centers sending blood samples for molecular follow-up to a single EUTOS-certified laboratory. IS MR from the last patient visit between October 2014 and April 2015 were retrospectively collected.

Disease and treatment characteristics of polycythemia vera patients in Belgium: Results from a scientific survey.

Objective: The current survey aimed to gather predefined disease parameters and treatment strategies to characterize the polycythemia vera (PV) patient population in Belgium.

Methods: Cross-sectional data from PV patients, seen at least once between May 2014 and May 2015 at 10 sites in Belgium, were collected in aggregated form and analyzed descriptively and quantitatively.

Results: Data from 343 PV patients were collected.

Myelofibrosis patients in Belgium: disease characteristics.

Objective: To date, only a small number of epidemiological studies on myelofibrosis have been performed. The current study aimed to characterize the myelofibrosis patient population in Belgium according to pre-defined disease parameters (diagnosis, risk categories, hemoglobin <10 g/dl, spleen size, constitutional symptoms, platelet count, myeloblast count), with a view to obtaining a deeper understanding of the proportion of patients that may benefit from the novel myelofibrosis therapeutic strategies.

Methods: A survey was used to collect data on prevalence and disease parameters on all myelofibrosis patients seen at each of 18 participating hematologic centers in 2011.

Adequate iron chelation therapy for at least six months improves survival in transfusion-dependent patients with lower risk myelodysplastic syndromes.

Background: Most patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) require transfusions at the risk of iron overload and associated organ damage, and death. Emerging evidence indicates that iron chelation therapy (ICT) could reduce mortality and improve survival in transfusion-dependent MDS patients, especially those classified as International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) Low or Intermediate-1 (Low/Int-1).

Methods: Follow-up of a retrospective study.