Management Of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Research Articles

Cardiac toxicities of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitors: The risk of pericarditis and cardiac tamponade

Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors are widely used in the management of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) and other B-cell malignancies. Despite their therapeutic efficacy, BTK inhibitors are associated with cardiac toxicities, most notably atrial fibrillation and hypertension. However, our recent case series highlights the rare yet underappreciated risk of pericarditis and cardiac tamponade in patients treated with both first- and second-generation BTK inhibitors. This article highlights the need for vigilance in clinical practice and the importance of timely echocardiography. The challenges of early diagnosis are discussed, as well as the role of emerging technologies, such as point-of-care ultrasound and AI-based diagnostics. Ultimately, a cautious, informed approach is crucial to balance the benefits of BTK therapy with the risk of rare but life-threatening cardiac events.

The Novel Anti-Cancer Agent, SpiD3, Is Cytotoxic in CLL Cells Resistant to Ibrutinib or Venetoclax.

B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling is a central driver in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), along with the activation of pro-survival pathways (e.g., NF-κB) and aberrant anti-apoptotic mechanisms (e.g., BCL2) culminating to CLL cell survival and drug resistance. Front-line targeted therapies such as ibrutinib (BTK inhibitor) and venetoclax (BCL2 inhibitor) have radically improved CLL management. Yet, persisting CLL cells lead to relapse in ~20% of patients, signifying the unmet need of inhibitor-resistant refractory CLL. SpiD3 is a novel spirocyclic dimer of analog 19 that displays NF-κB inhibitory activity and preclinical anti-cancer properties. Recently, we have shown that SpiD3 inhibits CLL cell proliferation and induces cytotoxicity by promoting futile activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR) pathway and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), resulting in the inhibition of protein synthesis in CLL cells. We performed RNA-sequencing using CLL cells rendered resistant to ibrutinib and venetoclax to explore potential vulnerabilities in inhibitor-resistant and SpiD3-treated CLL cells. The transcriptomic analysis of ibrutinib- or venetoclax-resistant CLL cell lines revealed ferroptosis, UPR signaling, and oxidative stress to be among the top pathways modulated by SpiD3 treatment. By examining SpiD3-induced protein aggregation, ROS production, and ferroptosis in inhibitor-resistant CLL cells, our findings demonstrate cytotoxicity following SpiD3 treatment in cell lines resistant to current front-line CLL therapeutics. Our results substantiate the development of SpiD3 as a novel therapeutic agent for relapsed/refractory CLL disease.

Knowledge, skills, and confidence gaps impacting treatment decision making in relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia and mantle cell lymphoma: a quantitative survey study in France, Germany, and the United States

BackgroundWith recent advancements in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), healthcare specialists may face challenges making treatment and management decisions based on latest evidence for the optimal care of patients with these conditions. This study aimed to identify specific knowledge, skills, and confidence gaps impacting the treatment of CLL and MCL, to inform future educational activities.MethodsHematologists and hemato-oncologists (HCPs, n = 224) from France (academic settings), Germany, and the United States (academic and community settings) responded to a 15-minute quantitative needs assessment survey that measured perceived knowledge, skills, and confidence levels regarding different aspects of treatment and management of CLL and MCL patients, as well as clinical case questions. Descriptive statistics (cross tabulations) and Chi-square tests were conducted.ResultsFour areas of educational need were identified: (1) sub-optimal knowledge of treatment guidelines; (2) sub-optimal knowledge of molecular testing to inform CLL/MCL treatment decisions; (3) sub-optimal skills when making treatment decisions according to patient profile (co-morbidities, molecular testing results); and (4) challenges balancing the risk of toxicities with benefits of treatment. Over one-third of the respondents reported skill gaps when selecting suitable treatment options and prescribing therapies and reported a lack in confidence to initiate and manage treatment. Larger gaps in knowledge of guidelines and skills in patient assessment were identified in MCL, compared to CLL.ConclusionsThis study suggests the need for continuing medical education specifically to improve knowledge of treatment guidelines, and to assist clinicians in developing skills and confidence when faced with clinical decision-making scenarios of patients with specific comorbidities and/or molecular test results, for example, through case-based learning activities.

BET inhibition reforms the immune microenvironment and alleviates T cell dysfunction in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Redundant tumor microenvironment (TME) immunosuppressive mechanisms and epigenetic maintenance of terminal T cell exhaustion greatly hinder functional antitumor immune responses in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Bromodomain and extraterminal (BET) proteins regulate key pathways contributing to CLL pathogenesis and TME interactions, including T cell function and differentiation. Herein, we report that blocking BET protein function alleviates immunosuppressive networks in the CLL TME and repairs inherent CLL T cell defects. The pan-BET inhibitor OPN-51107 reduced exhaustion-associated cell signatures resulting in improved T cell proliferation and effector function in the Eμ-TCL1 splenic TME. Following BET inhibition (BET-i), TME T cells coexpressed significantly fewer inhibitory receptors (IRs) (e.g., PD-1, CD160, CD244, LAG3, VISTA). Complementary results were witnessed in primary CLL cultures, wherein OPN-51107 exerted proinflammatory effects on T cells, regardless of leukemic cell burden. BET-i additionally promotes a progenitor T cell phenotype through reduced expression of transcription factors that maintain terminal differentiation and increased expression of TCF-1, at least in part through altered chromatin accessibility. Moreover, direct T cell effects of BET-i were unmatched by common targeted therapies in CLL. This study demonstrates the immunomodulatory action of BET-i on CLL T cells and supports the inclusion of BET inhibitors in the management of CLL to alleviate terminal T cell dysfunction and potentially enhance tumoricidal T cell activity.

Meta-analysis of the efficacy and adverse effects of acalabrutinib in the management of relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia

The advent of Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor (BTKi) therapy with ibrutinib introduced a highly effective targeted therapy in the management of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). However, due to the adverse effect profile some patients cannot tolerate this novel therapy. Newer, more potent and targeted BTK inhibitors such as acalabrutinib have been developed. Acalabrutinib is an irreversible and second generation BTKi that covalently inhibits BTK with greater selectivity than ibrutinib. As novel BTKis are developed, a greater understanding of their efficacy and adverse effect rates can assist clinicians and patients in the shared clinical decision-making process. A search was conducted using the PICOS model and PRISMA guidelines. PubMeb, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were searched using the keywords: Acalabrutinib, Acalabrutinib Monotherapy, Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor, and Relapsed/Refractory (R/R) CLL. After initial literature review 12 studies were chosen for evaluation in this meta-analysis. Meta-analysis and follow up meta-regression models were completed. The results were as follows: ORR 82% (95% CI 74%–90%, I2 = 84.14%, p < 0.01), CR 4% (95% CI 2%–6%, I2 = 0.00%, p = 0.99), mortality rate 12% (95% CI 6%–19%, I2 = 87.23%, p < 0.01), mortality rate due to adverse effect 7% (95% CI 3%–10%, I2 = 67.67%, p = 0.01), mortality due to pneumonia 2% (95% CI 1%–3%, I2 = 0.00%, p = 0.43), mortality due to CLL progression 4% (95% CI 2%–6%, I2 = 61.03%, p = 0.04), neutropenia (≥ grade 3) 18% (95% CI 15%–20%, I2 = 0.00%, p = 0.70), thrombocytopenia (≥ grade 3) 7% (95% CI 4%–11%, I2 = 54%, p = 0.09), anemia (≥ grade 3) 9% (95% CI 6%–12%, I2 = 36.93%, p = 0.18), pneumonia (≥ grade 3) 10% (95% CI 6%–14%, I2 = 66.37%, p = 0.02) and atrial fibrillation 7% (95% CI 3%–11%, I2 = 80.13%, p = 0.00). The results demonstrate that acalabrutinib shows efficacy in the treatment of R/R CLL with tolerable adverse reaction rates.

Innovative Combinations, Cellular Therapies and Bispecific Antibodies for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: A Narrative Review.

In the last few years, several agents targeting molecules that sustain the survival and the proliferation of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells have become clinically available. Most of these drugs target surface proteins, such as CD19 or CD20, via monoclonal or bispecific monoclonal antibodies (BsAbs), CAR T cells, intracellular proteins like BTK by using covalent or non-covalent inhibitors or BCL2 with first or second generation BH3-mimetics. Since the management of CLL is evolving quickly, in this review we highlighted the most important innovative treatments including novel double and triple combination therapies, CAR T cells and BsAbs for CLL. Recently, a large number of studies on novel combinations and newer strategic options for CLL therapy have been published or presented at international conferences, which were summarized and linked together. Although the management of treatment with a single continuous agent is easier, the emergence of protein mutations, long-term toxicities and costs are important concerns that favor the use of a fixed duration therapy. In the future, a measurable residual disease (MRD)-guided treatment cessation and MRD-based re-initiation of targeted therapy seems to be a more feasible approach, allowing identification of the patients who might benefit from continuous therapy or who might need a consolidation with BsAbs or CAR T cells to clear the neoplastic clone.

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) with Borderline Immunoglobulin Heavy Chain Mutational Status, a Rare Subgroup of CLL with Variable Disease Course.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) exhibits substantial variability in disease course. The mutational status of the B-cell receptor immunoglobulin heavy variable (IGHV) chain is a critical prognostic factor, categorizing patients into mutated (M-IGHV) and unmutated (U-IGHV) groups. Recently, a third subgroup with borderline mutational status (BL-IGHV) has been identified, comprising approximately 5% of CLL cases. This study retrospectively analyzes the outcomes of 30 BL-IGHV mutated patients among a cohort of 653 CLL patients, focusing on time to first treatment (TTFT) and overall survival (OS). BL-IGHV patients had a short TTFT similar to U-IGHV patients (median 30.2 vs. 34 months; p = 0.9). Conversely, the OS of BL-IGHV patients resembled M-IGHV patients (median NR vs. 258 months; p = 1). Despite a similar incidence in unfavorable prognostic factors, the TTFT was shorter compared to other published cohorts. However, striking similarities with other experiences suggest that BL-IGHV mutated patients share common biological characteristics, biased IGHV gene usage and BCR subset frequency. These findings also underscore the need for multicentric efforts aggregating data on BL-IGHV CLL in order to elucidate its disease course and optimize therapeutic approaches for this rare subgroup. Until then, predicting outcomes and optimal management of BL-IGHV CLL will remain challenging.

How receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor 1 meets its partners in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common leukemia in western societies, recognized by clinical and molecular heterogeneity. Despite the success of targeted therapies, acquired resistance remains a challenge for relapsed and refractory CLL, as a consequence of mutations in the target or the upregulation of other survival pathways leading to the progression of the disease. Research on proteins that can trigger such pathways may define novel therapies for a successful outcome in CLL such as the receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor 1 (ROR1). ROR1 is a signaling receptor for Wnt5a, with an important role during embryogenesis. The aberrant expression on CLL cells and several types of tumors, is involved in cell proliferation, survival, migration as well as drug resistance. Antibody-based immunotherapies and small-molecule compounds emerged to target ROR1 in preclinical and clinical studies. Efforts have been made to identify new prognostic markers having predictive value to refine and increase the detection and management of CLL. ROR1 can be considered as an attractive target for CLL diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. It can be clinically effective alone and/or in combination with current approved agents. In this review, we summarize the scientific achievements in targeting ROR1 for CLL diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment.

Assessment of second primary malignancies among treated and untreated patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia using real-world data from the USA.

Aim: Improved management of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has resulted in a growing population of CLL survivors; these patients have a higher risk of developing second primary malignancies (SPMs) versus the general population. This retrospective cohort study aims to assess the timing, frequency, incidence and types of SPMs in treated and untreated patients with CLL in the USA, using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Medicare database, which links a nationally representative cancer registry with Medicare claims data. Patients & methods: Patients aged ≥66years with newly diagnosed CLL between 1January2010 and 31December2016, who were enrolled in Parts A and B of Medicare for ≥12months pre-diagnosis of CLL were selected from the database. Patients were assessed for ≥36months until the end of continuous enrollment in Medicare Parts A, B and D, a switch to a health maintenance organization, death, or end of the study period (December2019). Results: Of 3053 patients included in the analyses, 620 (20.3%) were treated and 2433 (79.7%) were untreated within 36months of diagnosis. Overall, 638 (20.9%) patients developed a SPM, 26.8% of patients in the treated cohort and 19.4% of patients in the untreated cohort. The most common SPMs for both cohorts were squamous cell carcinoma and acute myeloid leukemia. Among the 166 treated patients who developed a SPM, a greater proportion developed their first SPM after treatment initiation versus those who developed their first SPM prior to treatment initiation (p<0.001). A significantly lower percentage of patients who received targeted therapy developed a SPM (p<0.05) versus patients treated with anti-CD20+ chemotherapy. Conclusion: Findings indicate that treatment type and timing can affect SPM development in patients with CLL. Combined with previous findings, this can help inform best practices in monitoring for SPM in patients with CLL.

Transforming CLL management with immunotherapy: Investigating the potential of CAR T-cells and bispecific antibodies

Immunotherapies, such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy and bispecific antibodies or T-cell engagers, have revolutionized the treatment landscape for various B-cell malignancies, including B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia and many non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Despite their significant impact on these malignancies, their application in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) management is still largely under investigation. Although the initial success of CD19-directed CAR T-cell therapy was observed in 3 multiply relapsed CLL patients, with 2 of them surviving over 10 years without relapse, recent CAR T-cell therapy trials in CLL have shown reduced response rates compared to their efficacy in other B-cell malignancies. One of the challenges with using immunotherapy in CLL is the compromised T-cell fitness from persistent CLL-related antigenic stimulation, and an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). These challenges underscore a critical gap in therapeutic options for CLL patients intolerant or resistant to current therapies, emphasizing the imperative role of effective immunotherapy. Encouragingly, innovative strategies are emerging to overcome these challenges. These include integrating synergistic agents like ibrutinib to enhance CAR T-cell function and persistence and engineering newer CAR T-cell constructs targeting diverse antigens or employing dual-targeting approaches. Bispecific antibodies are an exciting "off-the-shelf" prospect for these patients, with their investigation in CLL currently entering the realm of clinical trials. Additionally, the development of allogeneic CAR T-cells and natural killer (NK) cells from healthy donors presents a promising solution to address the diminished T-cell fitness observed in CLL patients. This comprehensive review delves into the latest insights regarding the role of immunotherapy in CLL, the complex landscape of resistance mechanisms, and a spectrum of innovative approaches to surmount therapeutic challenges.

A Snapshot of the Management of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia in Italy. Preliminary Analysis on over 3000 Patients Enrolled in the Gimema CLL2121 Trial

In recent years the management of patients (pts) with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has benefited from a deeper knowledge of the mechanisms underlying the disease and from the development of novel therapeutic approaches. That notwithstanding, local and national accessibility to drugs and tests may lead to distinct “real-world” practices in terms of management of pts that are worth of being recorded and compared to understand the degree of reproducibility and applicability of international guidelines. This could also be relevant for the design of future clinical trials, more tailored to the true patient's needs. To this end, within the GIMEMA cooperative study group the observational retrospective and prospective CLL2121 study (NCT04867915) has been designed with the objective of evaluating the diagnosis and management of CLL in all hematological centers in Italy through the assessment of: 1) the methods and the actual diagnostic/prognostic work-up capacity; 2) the algorithms applied to define disease progression and treatment requirements with respect to national and international guidelines; 3) the clinical and biological variables not strictly associated with CLL, but capable of influencing the clinical course and overall survival; 4) the true incidence of some rarer complications associated with CLL. The study consists of a collection of clinico-biological data from all pts with newly diagnosed CLL, small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) or CLL-like monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis (MBL), according to the iwCLL 2018 criteria in Italy. The retrospective part aims at including all cases followed at the participating centers with a diagnosis between January 2010 and September 2021, while the prospective part will include all pts with a documented diagnosis of CLL, SLL or MBL between September 2021 and September 2025. In this pilot analysis of the study, we examined pts' demographics, diagnosis, treatment line and type. Data were collected using the REDCap electronic data capture platform, analyzed using the SAS software v.9.4 and reported as numbers and frequencies. Between 2 November 2021 and 28 June 2023, 3294 eligible pts were enrolled in 75 hematology centers (out of the total of 110 centers who will be activated during the study) across the entire Italian territory. At the time of the present report, 3033 pts had clinical data available for our preliminary analysis. The vast majority of pts registered (N=2599, 85.7%) belonged to the retrospective cohort while only a minority (N=434, 14.3%) to the prospective cohort. Pts had a median age of 68 years ranging from 29 to 97; 60% of pts were males. 2630 pts (86.8%) had a diagnosis of CLL, 187 (6.2%) of SLL and 214 (7.0%) of MBL (2 missing information). Among those with available results 112 pts (12.6%) were TP53 mutated, 526 (45.6%) del(13q) positive, 174 (14.9%) del(11q) positive, 142 (11.9%) del(17p) positive and 226 (20.4%) presented a trisomy 12. The majority of pts (57.6%) were untreated, while 42.4% have been treated. Within the latter subset, 67.3% of pts have received one line of therapy, 21.4% 2 lines of therapy, 11.3% ≥3 lines of therapy. The most common therapeutic regimens were the combination of chemotherapy with an anti-CD20 antibody (39.3%), mainly rituximab, and those based on BTK inhibitors (33.3%), mainly ibrutinib. Chemotherapy alone was used in 12% of pts. Only 5% of pts was treated with the BCL2 inhibitor venetoclax. In the remaining 10% of pts, other approaches were used. This is the initial report of a nation-based real-world data collection aimed at describing the biological and clinical features of pts diagnosed with CLL in virtually all Italian hematology centers starting from 2010. The pattern of treatments highlighted in our preliminary analysis, with a wide use of the watch &amp; wait policy and of chemoimmunotherapy, will help understand how the introduction of novel therapies impacted treatment habits also in light of the timing of the local reimbursement policy. The different time of drug access in Italy, typically delayed after the EU approval, may also have affected the limited use of venetoclax-based treatment. The continuous accrual of pts in this study will allow to obtain a close-to-registry vision of CLL management in Italy over time, in terms of coverage of the entire country but enriched with the granularity of the data and flexibility of the collection typical of a real-world study.

Association of Measurable Residual Disease with Progression-Free Survival in Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis in the Era of Novel Agents

Introduction: Achieving undetectable measurable residual disease (uMRD) following treatment has shown significant prognostic value in several hematological malignancies. In chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), uMRD is associated with improved outcomes in the era of chemoimmunotherapy (CIT). However, the role of measurable residual disease (MRD) in the context of novel agents such as Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors (BTKi) and/or BCL2 inhibitors (e.g. venetoclax) is uncertain. To address this question, we conducted a systematic review of the literature and performed a comprehensive meta-analysis of trials that included novel agents to evaluate the association between MRD status after treatment and PFS in patients with CLL. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search of PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and Web of Science focusing on CLL trials reporting MRD and its association with PFS. Results were independently screened by two reviewers. Inclusion criteria included prospective phase 3 trials involving a novel agent in one of the treatment arms, while studies with incomplete information on MRD status related to PFS, reviews, abstracts, and retrospective analyses were excluded. The initial search identified 185 studies in PubMed and 402 studies in EMBASE. After applying prespecified criteria, a total of 10 phase 3 trials were included in our analysis. We extracted sample size, patient age, follow-up time, time point and tissue of MRD assessment, MRD cut-off and rate, performance status and molecular status when available. We only considered treatment arms with complete MRD information. The comparison involved patients who achieved uMRD with those exhibiting detectable MRD. When available, hazard ratios (HR) and confidence intervals (CI) were used to evaluate the relationship between MRD status and PFS. If not, we used Kaplan-Meier (KM) curves from both uMRD and MRD subgroups and extracted the coordinates points of the curves using DigitizeIt software (version 2.5.10, I. Bormann) and using the number at risk provided we estimated the HRs and CIs. A meta-analysis was performed using a random effects model from the R package metafor (Viechtbauer, W. (2010). Conducting meta-analyses in R with the metafor package. Journal of Statistical Software, 36(3), 1-48). The pooled hazard ratio estimates, and the corresponding 95% CI and prediction intervals (PI) were reported. Funnel and Baujat plots were generated to assess study heterogeneity and bias. All analysis was performed using R version 4.1.2 (R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria). Results: A total of 10 phase 3 trials, encompassing 14 treatment arms and involving 3152 patients, met the stringent inclusion criteria. All but one study used a uMRD cut-off of &amp;lt; 0.01%. Detailed information on the treatment arms and key trial characteristics is presented in Table 1. Notably, ten treatment arms were derived from first-line treatment trials, while the remaining arms pertained to the relapsed/refractory population. Only two trials (4 treatment arms) assessed MRD using next generation sequencing (NGS), while the rest used multicolor flow cytometry (MFC) (9 treatment arms) and allele-specific oligonucleotides polymerase chain reaction (ASO-PCR) (2 treatment arms). All but 3 trials assessed MRD in both bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood (PB). One trial (2 treatment arms) was excluded from the met-analysis due to higher MRD cut-off. All studies included in the meta-analysis measured uMRD (&amp;lt;0.01) versus MRD. The PFS pooled HR estimate for achieving uMRD at 0.01 cut off from the meta-analysis was 0.32 (95% CI [0.22, 0.45]), with minimal bias observed on the Funnel Plot. Conclusions: In this comprehensive meta-analysis, comprising 9 phase 3 trials, achieving uMRD was strongly associated with PFS. These findings further establish the prognostic role of MRD in CLL management and its potential use as a surrogate marker in clinical trials. As the body of evidence on MRD in CLL continues to grow, it becomes imperative to standardize the optimal time point, methodology, and tissue for MRD assessment. Substantial heterogeneity in these aspects underscores the necessity for unified guidelines to ensure the accurate and consistent evaluation of MRD status in clinical practice.

A Multicenter Retrospective Study to Understand the Clinical Characteristics, Treatment Patterns, and Resource Utilization for Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: CREEK Study

Abstract Introduction: The ever-growing array of treatments available for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) led to a significant change in CLL management over the last few years. However, information about managing CLL is scattered across various regions, resulting in significant disparities in treatment approaches and patient outcomes between countries. The CREEK study aimed to describe the disease characteristics, treatment patterns, and overall survival (OS) among CLL-treated (CLL-Tx) patients and CLL treatment-naïve (CLL-N) patients in different regions. Methods: Data from 1009 patients were collected retrospectively from June 2016 to March 2023. This observational study included 886 CLL-Tx patients from 17 countries in the Middle East and Africa (MEA), Asia Pacific (AP), and Latin America (LA); and a pilot cohort of 123 CLL-N patients from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Patients' demographics, disease characteristics, laboratory assessments, comorbidities, treatment patterns, treatment-related adverse events (AEs), OS, and medical resource utilization (MRU) data were recorded. Results: The average age for both cohorts was 63 years. Most patients were males, 66.7% in CLL-Tx and 69.9% in CLL-N. The mean duration from clinical manifestation until diagnosis was 21.37 months for CLL-Tx and 1.46 months for CLL-N patients (p&amp;lt;0.0001). For CLL-Tx, almost 62% of the patients in MEA, 59.3% in AP, and 68.8% in LA had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score of 0 or 1, and similarly for CLL-N patients (56.1%). Total leucocytic count, lymphocytes, and platelets showed a significant difference (p&amp;lt;0.05) between CLL-Tx and CLL-N patients. As per the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (CIRS), musculoskeletal (p&amp;lt;0.0008) and endocrine-metabolic (p&amp;lt;0.0001) comorbidities were more frequent in the CLL-Tx group. Regarding the CLL-Tx patients, 69.7%, 62.9%, and 41.1% had extremely severe hematological problems (CIRS score 4) in MEA, LA, and AP, respectively. At diagnosis, patients from the MEA region presented with the highest prevalence of advanced disease staging, with 44.8% and 35.3% based on Rai and Binet Staging Scores, respectively; moreover, CLL-Tx patients exhibited a more advanced staging compared to CLL-N based on the same scores (p &amp;lt;0.0001). FISH testing for disease prognosis was not performed in about 59% of the patients across all regions. The testing rates for cytogenetic abnormalities, IGHV mutation status, and TP53 aberrations were relatively low in all regions. The percentage of unmutated IGHV was considerably higher (p=0.0001) in CLL-Tx (15.6%) patients, with the highest percentage in LA (21.0%), compared to CLL-N (10.6%). Cytogenetic abnormalities did not show significant differences between CLL-Tx and CLL-N patients (p&amp;gt;0.05), while TP53 aberrations differ significantly (p&amp;lt;0.05) (Table 1). Most patients, 76.0%, 81.8%, and 69.4%, received chemo-immunotherapies as 1 st line therapy, while 18.3%, 17.1%, and 30.1% received targeted therapy in MEA, AP, and LA, respectively. The percentage of patients with AEs who received 1 st line chemo-immunotherapies was higher than those who received targeted therapy (25.6% vs. 7.3%). The mean OS was 153.89 months in the treated study population (Table 2). The mean number of inpatient hospitalizations was 1.9 times for chemo-immunotherapy and 0.8 times for targeted therapy. The mean lengths of stay of 14.9 and 13.9 days, respectively; mean emergency room visits were 0.5 and 0.7, and blood transfusions were received by 16.7% and 9.2% of patients, respectively. Conclusions: This study highlights the variable disease characteristics between CLL-Tx and CLL-N patients and provides insight into the regional variations in treatment patterns and OS for CLL-Tx patients. A considerable number of patients had advanced disease staging at diagnosis; however, the study showed relatively low genetic testing rates, indicating the need for adequate clinical watchfulness. Despite being in the era of approved targeted therapy, the utilization of chemo-immunotherapy continues to be higher than that of targeted therapy in the first line, probably due to the lower access to targeted therapies. Keywords: Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), Genetic Testing, Treatment Patterns, Targeted Therapy, Chemo-immunotherapy, Real World Data.

Fixed-Duration Pirtobrutinib Combined with Venetoclax ± Rituximab in Relapsed/Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: Updated Results, Including MRD Data, from the BRUIN Phase 1b Study

Background: Covalent (c) Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors (BTKi) have transformed the management of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Recent clinical studies have evaluated the safety and efficacy of fixed-duration regimens with venetoclax and cBTKi. While these combinations are effective, their use may be limited by toxicity. Pirtobrutinib, a highly selective, non-covalent (reversible) BTKi, has shown promising safety and efficacy in heavily pretreated relapsed or refractory (R/R) CLL patients (pts). Here, we report the safety and efficacy of fixed-duration pirtobrutinib combined with venetoclax ± rituximab in pts with R/R CLL. Methods: Pts with R/R CLL were eligible for pirtobrutinib combined with venetoclax ± rituximab in the phase 1b portion of the multicenter phase 1/2 BRUIN study (NCT03740529). Prior cBTKi therapy was allowed, but not prior venetoclax. Pts were enrolled into sequential cohorts, first in the pirtobrutinib + venetoclax (PV) cohort and then the PV + rituximab (PVR) cohort. Pirtobrutinib 200 mg QD was started on cycle 1 day 1, and venetoclax was started on cycle 2 day 1 with the standard 5-week dose ramp to 400 mg QD target dose. PV was given for up to 24 cycles; each cycle was 28 days. For the PVR cohort, rituximab was given at 375 mg/m 2 on cycle 1 day 1 and then 500 mg/m 2 on day 1 of cycles 2-6. The primary endpoint was safety as assessed by treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) graded according to CTCAE v5.0. Other key endpoints included overall response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), and minimal residual disease (MRD). Undetectable MRD (uMRD) was defined as less than 1 CLL cell/10,000 nucleated cells (&amp;lt;1x10 -4) in peripheral blood by ClonoSEQ® assay (Adaptive Biotechnologies, Seattle, WA). A data cut of May 5, 2023, was utilized. Results: Fifteen pts received PV, and 10 received PVR. Median age was 66 years (range, 49-77) for those who received PV and 69 (range, 39-78) for those who received PVR. Median prior lines of therapy was 1 (range, 1-2) for the PV cohort and 2 (range 1-4) for the PVR cohort. Most pts had received prior chemotherapy (PV=53%; PVR=60%), CD20 monoclonal antibody (73%; 70%), and cBTKi (73%; 60%). The majority of pts had IGHV unmutated CLL (PV=73%; PVR=89%). ORR was 93.3% (95% CI, 68.1-99.8) for the 15 pts receiving PV and 100% (95% CI, 69.2-100.0) for the 10 pts receiving PVR, with 10 complete responses (PV=7; PVR=3). Median duration of follow-up for PFS was 22.1 months (IQR, 20.1-25.7) for PV and 22.1 months (IQR, 20.7-22.1) for PVR; PFS at 18 months was 92.9% (95% CI, 59.1-99.0) for the 15 pts receiving PV and 80.0% (95% CI, 40.9-94.6) for the 10 pts receiving PVR. The overall uMRD rate at cycle 13 was 70.8% (PV=10; PVR=7) for the 24 evaluable pts, with 87.5% (PV=12; PVR=9) of pts achieving uMRD at some time during the trial and all but one pt sustaining uMRD during subsequent MRD assessments ( Figure). Twenty-two pts discontinued treatment (PV=14; PVR=8); of these, 14 completed all 24 cycles of therapy (PV=9; PVR=5) and 8 discontinued early because of progressive disease (PV=2), adverse events (PVR=2), protocol noncompliance (PV=1), death unrelated to treatment (PVR=1), or other reasons (PV=2). Three pts (PV=1; PVR=2) continue to receive treatment. The median relative dose intensity was similar in both cohorts (PV=97.9%; PVR=98.6%). The most common TEAE of any grade included nausea (PV=60.0%; PVR=40.0%), fatigue (53.3%; 50.0%), and diarrhea (46.7%; 60.0%). The most common grade ≥3 TEAE was neutropenia/neutrophil count decreased (PV=46.7%; PVR=60.0%). Grade ≥3 clinical tumor lysis syndrome occurred during venetoclax dose escalation (PV=2), including a grade 3 case that resolved spontaneously after 24 hours and a grade 4 case that resolved after short-term intravenous fluids. Treatment-related adverse events led to dose reductions in three pts (PV=1; PVR=2) and treatment discontinuation in two pts (PVR=2). Conclusions: Fixed-duration pirtobrutinib combined with venetoclax ± rituximab was well tolerated and demonstrated sufficiently promising efficacy to warrant further investigation in pts with R/R CLL. The BRUIN CLL-322 phase 3 trial comparing PVR vs VR in previously treated CLL is currently enrolling pts (NCT04965493).

Evidence-Based Management of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: Consensus Statements from the Gulf Region

Introduction: Despite recent advances in diagnosis, prognostication, and treatment options, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is still a largely incurable disease. New concepts on diagnosis, staging, treatment, and follow-up on CLL have been incorporated throughout recent years. The lack of regional consensus guidelines has led to varying practices in the management of patients with CLL in the region. This manuscript aims to reach a consensus among expert hematologists regarding the definitions, classifications, and related practices of CLL. The experts developed a set of statements utilizing their personal experience together with the current literature on CLL management. This consensus aims to provide guidance for healthcare professionals involved in the management of CLL and serves as a step in developing regional guidelines. Methods: Eight experts responded to 50 statements regarding the diagnosis, staging, treatment, and prognosis of CLL with three potential answering alternatives ranging between agree, disagree, and abstain. This consensus adopted a modified Delphi consensus methodology. A consensus was reached when at least 75% of the agreement to the answer was reached. This manuscript presents the scientific insights of the participating attendees, panel discussions, and the supporting literature review. Results: Of the 50 statements, a consensus was reached on almost all statements. Statements covered CLL-related topics, including diagnostic evaluation, staging, risk assessment, different patient profiles, prognostic evaluation, treatment decisions, therapy sequences, response evaluation, complications, and CLL during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: In recent years, CLL management has progressed significantly, with many diagnostic tests and several novel treatments becoming available. This consensus gathers decades of consolidated principles, novel research, and promising prospects for the management of this disease.

Chronic Lymphoid Leukemia: a systematic review of its epidemiological, etiological and genetic aspects

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a lymphoproliferative neoplasm that mainly affects the elderly, being the most common leukemia in western adults. It is estimated the presence of about 191,000 new cases annually in the world. Despite the advances made in the diagnosis and therapeutic management of CLL, its etiological and genetic aspects are still not completely clear. The objective of the article was to address and bring together the main epidemiological and etiopathogenic aspects of CLL, exploring how a greater biological understanding of the disease can improve and generate new therapeutic strategies.

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia Australasian consensus practice statement.

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is the most common haematological malignancy in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ). Considerable changes to diagnostic and management algorithms have occurred within the last decade. The availability of next-generation sequencing and measurable residual disease assessment by flow cytometry allow for advanced prognostication and response assessments. Novel therapies, including inhibitors of Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTKi) and B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL2) inhibitors, have transformed the treatment landscape for both treatment-naïve and relapsed/refractory disease, particularly for patients with high-risk genetic aberrations. Recommendations regarding appropriate supportive management continue to evolve, and special considerations are required for patients with CLL with respect to the global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The unique funding and treatment environments in Australasia highlight the need for specific local guidance with respect to the investigation and management of CLL. This consensus practice statement was developed by a broadly representative group of ANZ experts in CLL with endorsement by peak haematology bodies, with a view to providing this standardised guidance.

CLL-247 Updates of the Epidemiological Profile and Management of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

CLL-247 Updates of the Epidemiological Profile and Management of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Canadian evidence-based guideline for treatment of relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Following the recent publication of Canadian evidence-based guidelines for frontline treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the same group of clinicians developed guidelines for CLL in the relapsed/refractory (R/R) setting. The treatment of R/R CLL has changed significantly in the past few years, with many novel therapeutics available to hematologists across the country. These guidelines aim to standardize the management of CLL in the relapsed/refractory setting, using the best evidence currently available.

Trends of chronic lymphocytic leukemia incidence and mortality in the United States: a population-based study over the last four decades

ABSTRACT Background Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common leukemia among adults, and its incidence is higher in elderly individuals. This study aims to examine the burden of CLL in the United States (US) by exploring the incidence-based rates (IBR) and incidence-based mortality (IBMR) across four decades. Research design and methods CLL incidence data were obtained from the SEER-8 registry, covering 8.3% of the US population. Cases were identified using specific diagnostic codes and excluded if diagnosed on autopsy or death certificate. Age-standardized IBR and IBMR were calculated based on age, sex, and ethnicity/race. Joinpoint Regression Program was used to analyze changing trends in incidence and mortality. Results Since 2011, males’ and females’ IBRs declined by −1.72%/year (p = 0.028) and −1.07%/year (p = 0.222), respectively. IBR of patients > 75 years increased by 4.01%/year (p < 0.001) form 1998–2010, then declined by 2.02%/year (p = 0.011). IBR of Blacks increased by 0.96%/year (p < 0.001) throughout the study period. CLL IBMR stabilized at −0.38%/year (p = 0.457) since 2012. Whites’ IBMR plateaued at a rate of −0.10%/year (p = 0.857) form 2012–2019, while blacks’ IBMR increased by 1.40%/year (p = 0.056) between 2000–2019. Conclusions The analysis revealed a decline in CLL incidence since 2013, with stable mortality rates since 2012, indicating advancements in CLL management.