The Shifting Paradigm in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: Is Chemotherapy Still Relevant?

Abstract

Chemoimmunotherapy (CIT) was the standard treatment for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia for the last 2 decades. Recently, with the introduction of targeted therapies, the role of CIT has declined significantly. In the first-line setting, the role of CIT is limited to young fit patients with mutated immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region and without del(17p)/TP53 mutation. There is a limited role for CIT in relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia.