Dr. Leblond on Treatment Landscape of CLL

Veronique Leblond, MD, head of the Department of Hematology, Pitié Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France, discusses the current treatment landscape of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

Currently, there are treatment options for patients with CLL in the frontline setting as well as for those with relapsed disease, Leblond explains. In first-line, chemoimmunotherapy can be used with the regimen of fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab (FCR). For patients who harbor mutated immunoglobulin genes, some can be cured with this regimen.

In those who have unmutated immunoglobulin genes, the FCR treatment is still effective; however, many patients will relapse, she adds. For patients with comorbidities or are elderly, other combinations with monoclonal antibodies plus chlorambucil or bendamustine can be used.

Findings of a clinical trial for patients over the age of 65 showed that ibrutinib (Imbruvica) in the frontline setting is associated with a better progression-free survival and overall survival when compared with chlorambucil. However, researchers still await longer follow up with this treatment.