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Status unknownNCT03131986Updated Jun 11, 2018

Cessation of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in Patients With Chronic-phase Chronic Myelogenous Leukaemia

An observational study in Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic Phase, sponsored by The University of Hong Kong. Status unknown at 1 site in Hong Kong. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2018-06-11.

Sponsored by The University of Hong Kong · Observational

The sponsor has not verified this record recently (last verified Jun 2018), so the status shown — last known as Recruiting — may be out of date.
Study type
Observational
Model
Case-only
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
30
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
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Study summary

Since the debut of imatinib, the first tyrosine kinase inhibitor(TKI), more than two decades ago, the prognosis of patients with chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) has continued to improve. It has been shown that life expectancy of CML patients is approaching that of the general population nowadays. Currently, indefinite use of TKIs in patients with chronic-phase CML who achieve optimal response remains the standard practice. Nevertheless, the concepts of "treatment-free remission" and "functional" cure have been hotly discussed in recent years. A number of major international clinical trials have demonstrated that about 40-60% of CML patients who previously enjoyed deep molecular response on TKI manage to stay free from molecular relapse after cessation of TKI therapy.

Local experience of TKI cessation is lacking. This study aims to recruit patients diagnosed with CML, chronic phase who are treated with TKIs and remain in stable deep molecular response for at least two years. It is planned to stop TKI in these patients with regular monitoring, and determine their outcomes.

Read the detailed description

Major clinical trials including multicentre Stop Imatinib (STIM) trial, According to Stop Imatinib (A-STIM), TWISTER, Korean Imatinib Discontinuation Study (KIDS), European Stop Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Trial (EURO-SKI), and stop second generation (2G-TKI) showed that it is safe to stop TKI in patients who achieve stable deep molecular response (DMR) as defined by respective study groups. Around 40-60% of study participants managed to remain in treatment-free remission (TFR). For patients who experience molecular relapse after TKI withdrawal, most do so within the first 6 months. In addition, they all remained sensitive to TKI and majority of them were able to achieve the original molecular response. No loss of complete haematological response or progression to advanced phase CML was observed when the TKI was stopped.

Cessation of TKI in selected CML patients leads to freedom from treatment-related toxic effects. It is expected that at least 40% of enrolled patients will be in a sustained molecular remission after stopping TKI. Successful cessation would also reduce long-term treatment costs.

After cessation of TKI, fluctuation in molecular response, or even molecular relapse of the disease might bring about anxiety and distress in the patients. Some patients, estimated at around 40-60%, would experience molecular relapse and require resumption of TKI. Close molecular monitoring real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-QPCR) after stopping TKI (every month in the first year and every 2 months in the second year) will allow early detection of possible molecular relapse and thus prompt resumption of TKI. Long-term risks of disease progression and drug resistance are uncertain, though the safety data from the TFR studies reported to date are sufficiently reassuring. Some patients might have musculoskeletal pain and pruritus after cessation of TKI, especially imatinib, which is also commonly known as "imatinib withdrawal syndrome".

Patients with chronic-phase CML who have been treated with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor for more than 3 years and had deep molecular response (breakpoint cluster region/Abelson murine leukemia (BCR-ABL1) transcript ≤0.0032% IS ratio, i.e. molecular response (MR4.5) for at least 2 years

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Conditions studied

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In context

Leukemia

5,441 studies on the registry are indexed under Leukemia; 636 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 30 is below the median of 120 across 744 observational studies indexed under Leukemia.

Browse Leukemia studies →

Lead sponsor

The University of Hong Kong is the lead sponsor of 1,262 studies on the registry; 340 are open to participants now.

Of its 8 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 0 (0%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

All patients on TKI treatment for at least 3 years and DMR for at least 24 months and potentially eligible for the study will be recruited.

Inclusion criteria

  • Adult (aged 18 years or above) patients diagnosed with chronic-phase CML
  • In deep molecular response (i.e. MR4.5 or below, or those whose breakpoint cluster region -Abelson murine leukemia (BCR-ABL) transcripts were undetectable with at least 20,000 amplified copies of the control gene) for at least 2 years, confirmed by at least 3 data points with no more than one assessment between MR4 and MR4.5
  • Under treatment with a TKI in first line, or in second line due to intolerance of another first-line TKI
  • At least three years of treatment with the same TKI before enrolment

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Under 18 years old
  • Adults under law protection or without ability to consent
  • Previous or planned autologous/allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation
  • Documented kinase domain mutation
  • History of disease progression (accelerated or blast phase)
  • A change to the current TKI because of unsatisfactory response to a previous TKI in those who are on second line TKI (Note: patients are still considered eligible if the switch of TKI was due to intolerance or side effects)
  • Patients who can speak neither Chinese nor English
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Study design

Observational model
Case-only
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
30 participants (estimated)
Patient registry
No
Biospecimen retention
Samples with dna
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What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. disease free survival

    molecular relapse-free survival without treatment

    Time frame: 12 months

Secondary outcomes

  1. disease free survival

    molecular relapse-free survival without treatment

    Time frame: 24 months

  2. Overall survival

    Overall survival without treatment

    Time frame: 24 months

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Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
  • The University of Hong Kong
    Hong Kong, Hong Kong
    Recruiting
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References and documents

Publications

  • Mahon FX, Rea D, Guilhot J, Guilhot F, Huguet F, Nicolini F, Legros L, Charbonnier A, Guerci A, Varet B, Etienne G, Reiffers J, Rousselot P; Intergroupe Francais des Leucemies Myeloides Chroniques. Discontinuation of imatinib in patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia who have maintained complete molecular remission for at least 2 years: the prospective, multicentre Stop Imatinib (STIM) trial. Lancet Oncol. 2010 Nov;11(11):1029-35. doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(10)70233-3. Epub 2010 Oct 19. PubMed 20965785 ↗
  • Rousselot P, Charbonnier A, Cony-Makhoul P, Agape P, Nicolini FE, Varet B, Gardembas M, Etienne G, Rea D, Roy L, Escoffre-Barbe M, Guerci-Bresler A, Tulliez M, Prost S, Spentchian M, Cayuela JM, Reiffers J, Chomel JC, Turhan A, Guilhot J, Guilhot F, Mahon FX. Loss of major molecular response as a trigger for restarting tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy in patients with chronic-phase chronic myelogenous leukemia who have stopped imatinib after durable undetectable disease. J Clin Oncol. 2014 Feb 10;32(5):424-30. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2012.48.5797. Epub 2013 Dec 9. PubMed 24323036 ↗
  • Ross DM, Branford S, Seymour JF, Schwarer AP, Arthur C, Yeung DT, Dang P, Goyne JM, Slader C, Filshie RJ, Mills AK, Melo JV, White DL, Grigg AP, Hughes TP. Safety and efficacy of imatinib cessation for CML patients with stable undetectable minimal residual disease: results from the TWISTER study. Blood. 2013 Jul 25;122(4):515-22. doi: 10.1182/blood-2013-02-483750. Epub 2013 May 23. PubMed 23704092 ↗
  • Lee SE, Choi SY, Song HY, Kim SH, Choi MY, Park JS, Kim HJ, Kim SH, Zang DY, Oh S, Kim H, Do YR, Kwak JY, Kim JA, Kim DY, Mun YC, Lee WS, Chang MH, Park J, Kwon JH, Kim DW. Imatinib withdrawal syndrome and longer duration of imatinib have a close association with a lower molecular relapse after treatment discontinuation: the KID study. Haematologica. 2016 Jun;101(6):717-23. doi: 10.3324/haematol.2015.139899. Epub 2016 Feb 17. PubMed 26888022 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Undecided

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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jun 11, 2018, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03131986
Lead sponsor
The University of Hong Kong
Responsible party
Professor Yok-lam Kwong (Prof Kwong Yok Lam, The University of Hong Kong) — Principal investigator
First posted
Apr 27, 2017
Start date
Apr 18, 2017
Primary completion
Mar 30, 2019 (estimated)
Completion
Mar 30, 2019 (estimated)
Last update
Jun 11, 2018

Study contacts

Yuk Man Cheung, MBBS(HK)
Contact
drcarolcheung@gmail.com
85222555161
Crosby Lu, MMedSc
Contact
khlu@hku.hk
85222551654
Yuk Man Cheung, MBBS(HK)
principal investigator · Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is status unknown, as verified in Jun 2018. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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