Dr. Ayers on the Evolving Treatment Landscape in CLL

Emily C. Ayers, MD, hematologist​/oncologist​, assistant professor, University of Virginia Health, discusses the evolving treatment landscape in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

As the CLL space continues to shift away from us​ing traditional chemoimmunotherapy, targeted therapy ​has emerged as a standard treatment option, Ayers explains. The field is integrating tumor biology into the treatment selection process, with the goal of utilizing targeted therapies to obtain more durable responses, Ayers says.

Notably, the University of Virginia Health is currently participating in ongoing clinical trials that are evaluating the ​role of combination ​therapies in CLL. For example, the combination of ibrutinib (Imbruvica) and venetoclax (Venclexta) ​is being evaluated in the frontline setting for the treatment of patients with CLL. ​Combination regimens may allow patients​ to achieve deeper and more durable response​s; however, these trials will provide the field with critical insight, Ayers concludes.