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Ibrutinib

Ibrutinib has been FDA-approved to treat:

  • Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL).
  • Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) with 17p deletion.
  • Patients with Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM).
  • Adult and pediatric patients age 1 year and older with chronic graft versus host disease (cGVHD) after failure of one or more lines of systemic therapy.

Obinutuzumab

Obinutuzumab is FDA-approved 

Pirtobrutinib

Pirtobrutinib is indicated for the treatment of

2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine: Unleashing the Immune System

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded today to two scientists whose groundbreaking work led to the development of a class of immunotherapies called checkpoint inhibitors that work by releasing the brakes on the immune system.

Zanubrutinib

Zanubrutinib is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with:

Fludarabine

Fludarabine is FDA approved to treat people who have chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who have not responded to at least one standard alkylting-agent-containing regimen or whose disease has progressed during treatment with such a regimen. This medicine may rarely cause a temporary loss of hair. After treatment with fludarabine has ended, normal hair growth should return.

Lenalidomide

Lenalidomide is FDA approved to treat patients with:

On World Cancer Day: LLS Honors International Researchers

World Cancer Day is February 4, when people across the globe come together to work toward reducing the global burden of cancer. An integral part of this work is scientific research that leads to innovative treatments, ultimately saving lives.

Despite promising advances in treatment, cancers are among the leading cause of disease and deaths worldwide. Cancers know no boundaries, and have devastating impacts on families across the globe.

Advances in Cancer Research and Treatment in 2020

Progress in new cancer treatments is accelerating so rapidly that the standard of care for many cancer patients is changing right before our very eyes.

Since 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a remarkable 53 therapies just to treat patients with blood cancers, and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) has helped advance 46 of these treatments.

I have no reason to believe the next few years won’t be as productive and groundbreaking as the last few. With that, here are some of my predictions for 2020:

Lisocabtagene maraleucel

Lisocabtagene maraleucel is indicated for the treatment of

Dr. Wu

Catherine Wu, M.D., is focused on chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). One aspect of her research is to gain greater understanding of the genetic underpinnings of CLL. She and her colleagues are studying the role that a mutated gene – SF3BL - plays in the development of CLL in order to develop improved strategies to treat CLL. Another focus on her lab is to develop an immunotherapy approach to treating CLL. She is working on employing a CLL-specific antigen to develop a personalized vaccine for patients with CLL. Dr.

JP

Jim

Stay focused, stay positive, live as life as normally as you did before diagnosis, and do your best.

Ask the Doctor Part 1: Five Questions about Leukemia

Leukemia Survivor, Myrrah Talks to Dr. Nichols about the Latest in Leukemia Research and Treatment

 

#ASH18: Beating AML

Sunday marked a significant milestone for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) and the patients we help. Here at the 60th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting in San Diego, a conference attended by more than 30,000 scientists from around the world, we unveiled the first results from our groundbreaking precision medicine Beat AML Master Clinical Trial. To date, more than 356 patients have been screened for this trial.

sonia

Sonia

In an instant, my life changed. “You have chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). There is no cure but patients can live for several years.” These were the words I received a few years ago at the age of 39 with three small children. I have been on an educational journey of self-discovery, cancer research, and patient advocacy ever since.

chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)

George

I was born in the inner city of Philadelphia, PA in 1951, I currently live near Dallas, Texas. My professional career in the Information Technology Industry lasted over 40 years prior to my retirement in January 2019. In 2002 I was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and many aspects of my life changed forever.

Dr. Brown

Jennifer Brown, M.D., Ph.D., who played a role in advancing ibrutinib for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), is the recipient of an LLS Translational Research Program grant, and has previously received a career development program grant.

Her work is currently focused on studying the role that the Notch pathway plays in the development of CLL and whether therapies that target Notch can be effective for these patients. 

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)
  • Is a type of blood cancer that begins in the bone marrow
  • Can progress either slowly or quickly depending on the form it takes

Click here to access CLL statistics.

Treatment

It's important that your doctor is experienced in treating patients with chronic leukemia or works in consultation with a chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) specialist. This type of specialist is called a hematologist oncologist.

Types of CLL Treatment

Current therapies do not offer patients a cure for CLL, but there are treatments that help manage the disease. Doctors use several types of approaches and treatment for adults with CLL, some at different stages:

Diagnosis

An accurate diagnosis of the type of leukemia is important. The exact diagnosis helps the doctor to

  • Estimate how the disease will progress
  • Determine the appropriate treatment
Blood Tests

After your doctor or clinician takes your blood, he or she sends it to a lab for a complete blood count (CBC), which shows the number of red cells, white cells and platelets in your blood. 

Chemotherapy and Drug Therapy

Beginning Treatment for CLL  

Treatment of CLL is started when symptoms develop that are associated with active disease. Before starting treatment, it is important to have another FISH test to see if there are any changes to the genes and/or chromosomes of the CLL cells. 

Relapsed and Refractory

Relapsed CLL is the term for disease that returns after it has been in remission for more than six months. 

Refractory disease is the term for CLL that does not result in remission after initial therapy. 

Treatment Outcomes

Treatment outcomes for people with CLL vary widely, and expected outcomes are influenced by the

  • Stage of the disease
  • Presence or lack of various factors associated with higher-risk disease
  • Overall health of the patient
  • Other considerations.

Current research suggests that newer treatment combinations and approaches may improve the length of survival. People with CLL should consult with their doctors to discuss individual potential outcomes. For survival statistics, click here.