ASH 2013: Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia: A new treatment era is born

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07/08/23

Dr Gribben talks to ecancertv at ASH 2013 about a session covering the latest for CLL treatment.

This session focused on recent advances in the management of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). The most recent, targeted drugs for CLL, as well as therapeutic concepts for elderly, non-fit patients with CLL and immunotherapeutic approaches to achieve long-lasting remissions were discussed.

Dr Michael Hallek reviewed the currently available diagnostic and therapeutic tools and give an integrated recommendation of how to manage CLL in 2013, for example use of veltuzumab.

Dr Gribben himself reviewed some of the clinical key features of CLL, which induces a state of immunosuppression, causing increased susceptibility to infections and failure of an anti-tumor immune response. Hef further reported the state of the art on allogeneic stem cell transplantation and other immunotherapeutic approaches such as CLL vaccines, CXCR 4 antagonists, adoptive cellular immunotherapies (e.g., chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) modified T-cells), CD 40 ligand gene therapy, and the immunomodulatory drug lenalidomide.

Dr Tait Shanafelt discussed how CLL is a leukaemia of advanced age, and how the management of patients with CLL is more complex than in many other malignancies. He addressed several key questions in the management of elderly patients with CLL, including why the classification of the 'fitness' of CLL patients is necessary, what criteria should be used to classify patient fitness, when elderly patients should be treated, how therapy should be selected for elderly patients, and which therapy is best for each individual patient.