Preferences for First-Line Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Treatments: Results From a Multinational Study on the Perspectives of Patients and Physicians.

Background: Few studies have explored physician and patient preferences for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) related to treatment efficacy, adverse events (AEs), and treatment duration. Thus, this observational, mixed-methods study investigated patients' and physicians' preferences for CLL first-line treatments.

Materials and methods: An online discrete choice experiment in five countries among 192 patients and 259 physicians in the US, the UK, Germany, France, and Australia examined the importance of outcomes and treatment attributes.

Results: Increasing 5-year progression-free survival (5-year PFS) was most important to patients and physicians, with a relative importance (RI) of 30.3% among patients and 37.8% among physicians, followed by reducing the risks of common side effects (RI 21.6% among patients, 22.9% among physicians) and adverse events (AEs) leading to treatment discontinuation (RI 22.1% among patients, 20.6% among physicians). Patients strongly preferred time limited treatment regimen over treatment to progression (TTP). Specifically, patients and physicians would require a 6.4% vs 2.3% increase in 5-year PFS, a 19.4% vs 8.9% decrease in the risk of common all grades side effects, and a 7.5% vs 3.7% decrease in the risk of treatment discontinuation due to AEs, respectively, to compensate for a daily oral medication taken indefinitely vs daily oral medication taken for 24 months.

Conclusion: Overall, patients and physicians favor time-limited treatment regimens over TTP and value treatments with greater PFS benefits followed by lower side effects. Patients and physicians were both willing to trade-off switching from time-limited treatment to TTP for a better 5-year PFS, decrease side effects, and risk of treatment discontinuation due to AEs.