Objectives:To investigate the incidence of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) withdrawal syndrome and psychological issues, and their associated factors, in patients with chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML-CP) after TKI discontinuation.Methods:We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of CML-CP patients who discontinued TKI therapy at Peking University People's Hospital after September 2012. Logistic regression models were used to identify independent factors associated with the occurrence of TKI withdrawal syndrome and psychological issues.Results:A total of 158 patients were included, of whom 92 (58%) were female. The median age at discontinuation was 50 ( IQR, 35-60) years. With a median follow-up of 25 ( IQR, 11-49) months, the 4-year rate of sustained major molecular response (MMR) was 60% (95% CI: 51%-70%) . Fifty-one (32%) patients experienced TKI withdrawal syndrome at a median of 1.3 ( IQR, 0.5-2.0) months after TKI discontinuation. Fifty-one (32%) patients reported psychological issues such as anxiety. These concerns stemmed from fears of fluctuating BCR::ABL1 levels or disease relapse, and, for those who discontinued TKI for pregnancy, worries about adverse fetal effects and/or the fetus inheriting CML. Multivariable analyses revealed that older age at discontinuation [ P=0.003 when adjusting for TKI therapy duration; P=0.002 when adjusting for deep molecular response (DMR) duration], longer TKI therapy duration ( P=0.010) , and longer DMR duration before discontinuation ( P=0.005) were significantly associated with a higher risk of TKI withdrawal syndrome; a university degree or higher ( P=0.010) and TKI discontinuation due to pregnancy or adverse events ( P=0.001) were significantly associated with psychological issues after discontinuation. The occurrence of TKI withdrawal syndrome or psychological issues had no impact on the probability of major molecular response loss after discontinuation. Conclusion:TKI withdrawal syndrome and psychological issues are common in CML patients who discontinue TKI therapy. Older age at discontinuation and longer TKI therapy duration or DMR duration are significantly associated with TKI withdrawal syndrome. Higher education level and TKI discontinuation due to pregnancy or adverse events are significantly associated with psychological issues.

Objectives:To investigate the incidence of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) withdrawal syndrome and psychological issues, and their associated factors, in patients with chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML-CP) after TKI discontinuation.Methods:We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of CML-CP patients who discontinued TKI therapy at Peking University People's Hospital after September 2012. Logistic regression models were used to identify independent factors associated with the occurrence of TKI withdrawal syndrome and psychological issues.Results:A total of 158 patients were included, of whom 92 (58%) were female. The median age at discontinuation was 50 ( IQR, 35-60) years. With a median follow-up of 25 ( IQR, 11-49) months, the 4-year rate of sustained major molecular response (MMR) was 60% (95% CI: 51%-70%) . Fifty-one (32%) patients experienced TKI withdrawal syndrome at a median of 1.3 ( IQR, 0.5-2.0) months after TKI discontinuation. Fifty-one (32%) patients reported psychological issues such as anxiety. These concerns stemmed from fears of fluctuating BCR::ABL1 levels or disease relapse, and, for those who discontinued TKI for pregnancy, worries about adverse fetal effects and/or the fetus inheriting CML. Multivariable analyses revealed that older age at discontinuation [ P=0.003 when adjusting for TKI therapy duration; P=0.002 when adjusting for deep molecular response (DMR) duration], longer TKI therapy duration ( P=0.010) , and longer DMR duration before discontinuation ( P=0.005) were significantly associated with a higher risk of TKI withdrawal syndrome; a university degree or higher ( P=0.010) and TKI discontinuation due to pregnancy or adverse events ( P=0.001) were significantly associated with psychological issues after discontinuation. The occurrence of TKI withdrawal syndrome or psychological issues had no impact on the probability of major molecular response loss after discontinuation. Conclusion:TKI withdrawal syndrome and psychological issues are common in CML patients who discontinue TKI therapy. Older age at discontinuation and longer TKI therapy duration or DMR duration are significantly associated with TKI withdrawal syndrome. Higher education level and TKI discontinuation due to pregnancy or adverse events are significantly associated with psychological issues.

Objective:The study aims to explore the efficacy and safety of low-dose chemotherapy combined with tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) as an induction therapy for Philadelphia-chromosomal-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph + ALL) . Methods:The data of the consecutive newly diagnosed patients with Ph + ALL were reviewed. The efficacy and safety of low-dose chemotherapy and conventional-dose chemotherapy combined with TKI were compared. Results:A total of 217 patients with a median age of 38 (10-69) years old were included in this study. 78 patients were in the low-dose chemotherapy group, and 139 patients were in the conventional-dose chemotherapy group. There were no significant differences in the 4-week complete remission (CR) rate (98.7% vs 97.0%, P=0.766) and overall CR rate (100% vs 100%, P=1.000) between the two groups. Multivariate analyses showed that the chemotherapy intensity was not related to the disease-free survival rate and overall survival rate. However, the lower incidence of infection ( P=0.017) , the shorter duration of neutropenia ( P=0.001) and PLT<20 × 10 9/L ( P=0.057) , and the lower red blood cell transfusion volume ( P=0.002) were more common in the low-dose chemotherapy group than in the conventional-dose chemotherapy group. Conclusions:The low-dose chemotherapy is superior to the conventional-dose chemotherapy combined with TKI as induction therapy in Ph + ALL with similar efficacy but is safer.

Angiogenesis is an essential process in tumor growth, invasion and metastasis. VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2) inhibitors targeting tumor angiogenic pathway have been widely used in the clinical cancer treatment. However, most of currently used VEGFR2 kinase inhibitors are multi-target inhibitors which might result in target-associated side effects and therefore limited clinical toleration. Highly selective VEGFR inhibitors are still highly demanded from both basic research and clinical application point of view. Here we report the discovery and characterization of a novel VEGFR2 inhibitor (CHMFL-VEGFR2-002), which exhibited high selectivity among structurally closed kinases including PDGFRs, FGFRs, CSF1R, etc. CHMFL-VEGFR2-002 displayed potent inhibitory activity against VEGFR2 kinase in the biochemical assay (IC = 66 nmol/L) and VEGFR2 autophosphorylation in cells (ECs ∼100 nmol/L) as well as potent anti-proliferation effect against VEGFR2 transformed BaF3 cells (GI = 150 nmol/L). In addition, CHMFL-VEGFR2-002 also displayed good anti-angiogenesis efficacy and exhibited good PK (pharmacokinetics) profile with bioavailability over 49% and anti-angiogenesis efficacy in both zebrafish and mouse models without apparent toxicity. These results suggest that CHMFL-VEGFR2-002 might be a useful research tool for dissecting new functions of VEGFR2 kinase as well as a potential anti-angiogenetic agent for the cancer therapy.

Objective: To explore the significance of minimal residual disease (MRD) in predicting prognosis and guiding therapy of adults with Philadelphia-chromosome negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph^- ALL) in high-risk. Methods: Data of newly diagnosed adults with Ph^- ALL in high-risk who achieved CR were reviewed. Variables associated with outcome were identified by COX regression model and Landmark analysis. Results: A total of 177 patients, 99 (56%) cases male with a median age of 40 years (range, 16-65 years) were included in this study. Of them, 95 (54%) patients received allo-HSCT in CR₁. Multivariate analyses showed that MRD negativity after the first cycle of consolidation (HR=0.52, 95%CI 0.30-0.89, P=0.017) and achieving CR within 4 weeks (HR=0.43, 95%CI 0.24-0.79, P=0.006) were the factors significantly-associated with longer DFS, and allo-HSCT was associated with both longer DFS (HR=0.13, 95%CI 0.08-0.22, P<0.001) and OS (HR=0.24, 95%CI 0.15-0.41, P<0.001) . Landmark analysis was performed on 121 patients, of 85 patients achieving MRD negativity after the first cycle of consolidation, multivariate analyses showed that MRD negativity after the third cycle of consolidation was significantly-associated with longer DFS (HR=0.18, 95%CI 0.05-0.64, P=0.008) and OS (HR=0.14, 95%CI 0.04-0.50, P=0.003) . For the patients achieving MRD negativity after both the first and the third cycles of consolidation, the 3-year DFS rate in the allo-HSCT cohort had a higher trend compared with that in the chemotherapy cohort (75.2% vs 51.3%, P=0.082) , however, the 3-year OS rates in the 2 cohorts were similar (72.7% vs 68.7%, P=0.992) . In those with MRD positivity after the first and/or the third cycle of consolidation, 3-year DFS (64.8% vs 33.3%, P=0.006) and OS (77.0% vs 33.3%, P=0.028) rates in the allo-HSCT cohort were significantly higher than those in the chemotherapy cohort, and similar to those in the cohort achieving MRD negativity after both the first and the third cycles of consolidation and receiving allo-HSCT. Conclusions MRD negativity after the first cycle of consolidation was a predictor for better outcome in adults with Ph^- ALL in high-risk. The survival advantage of the allo-HSCT cohort was not pronounced compared with that in the chemotherapy cohort even in those with high-risk features but achieving MDR negativity after both the first and third cycles of consolidation. However, allo-HSCT could be a good option for the patients with MRD positivity after the first and/or the third cycle of consolidation.