Dynamics of BCR-ABL kinase domain mutations in chronic myeloid leukemia after sequential treatment with multiple tyrosine kinase inhibitors

Abstract

Dasatinib and nilotinib are potent tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) with activity against many imatinib-resistant chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) clones with BCR-ABL kinase domain (KD) mutations, except T315I. We assessed for changes in the BCR-ABL KD mutation status in 112 patients with persistent CML who received a second-generation TKI after imatinib failure. Sixty-seven different KD mutations were detected before the start of therapy with a second TKI, with T315I seen in 15%. Equal numbers of patients received nilotinib or dasatinib following imatinib, and 18 received 3 TKIs. Response rates were similar for patients with and without mutations, regardless of mutation site except for T315I. Overall, 29 patients (26%) developed new KD mutations after therapy with a second (n = 24) or third (n = 5) TKI, but only 4 (4%) developed T315I. In 73% of cases, the KD mutations that persisted or developed following switch to new TKI were at sites also found in prior in vitro TKI mutagenesis assays. Although there is only a mild increase in mutation frequency with sequential TKI treatment, novel mutations do occur and mutation regression/acquisition/persistence generally reflects the in vitro differential sensitivity predicted for each TKI. In this study, there was no marked increase in development of T315I.