Then & Now: Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
New Era of Targeted Therapy Shift Treatment Paradigm
Chemotherapy was the predominant first-line treatment for patients with CLL. CLL patients already have very weak immune systems, making it sometimes difficult to tolerate chemotherapeutic regimens that may weaken the immune system further.
New targeted therapies seek to treat the root cause of the disease, resulting in lasting remissions for many CLL patients and without the immunosuppressant risks common with chemotherapy.
For patients with immune systems unable to tolerate chemotherapy, additional treatment options with fewer side effects were very much needed.
The use of novel B-cell receptor (BCR) pathway inhibitors and targeted monoclonal antibodies like rituximab are expanding treatment options for all patients, even those with more compromised immune systems.
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a rare form of blood cancer that typically progresses more slowly than acute types of leukemia. Affecting an estimated 3 out of 100,000 people in the United States, CLL most often occurs after middle age and rarely is found in children. In patients with CLL, abnormal lymphocytes are produced and accumulate in the body. This accumulation weakens the immune system, leading to a variety of symptoms, including swelling of the lymph nodes, debilitating fatigue, and an increase in fever and infections.