Chronic leukaemias in the community

Patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia are now predominantly managed in an outpatient setting with infrequent need for hospital-based therapy New targeted oral treatments have transformed survival outcomes An increasing number of patients now have a life expectancy approaching that of the general population Suboptimal drug adherence is common and a key reason for therapy failure and poor clinical outcomes The pharmacokinetics of new oral targeted drugs are significantly impacted by drug–drug interactions and an altered gastric pH Long-term use of some of the new oral drugs is associated with complications including cardiovascular events and infections which can be fatal if not recognised