Individualizing Therapy for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: New Options

Target Audience

This activity is designed to meet the educational needs of Oncology NPs, PAs, and nurses.

Program Overview

With the approval of novel targeted drugs and combination therapies, the complexity of treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has increased substantially in recent years. Among the classes of novel oral drugs approved by the FDA are the Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors ibrutinib and acalabrutinib, the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitors idelalisib and duvelisib, and the B-cell lymphoma (BCL)-2 inhibitor venetoclax. Combinations of targeted agents have also been approved.

These developments, coupled with the identification of molecular prognostic markers and the introduction of more sensitive and sophisticated techniques to assess minimal residual disease (MRD), signal a greater shift toward individualized therapy for patients with CLL. In this activity, an expert from Columbia University Medical Center reviews clinical data and national guidelines for individualizing treatment of patients with newly diagnosed or relapsed/refractory CLL, and discusses strategies to manage adverse events and improve treatment compliance.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be better able to:

Identify clinical and molecular markers and their potential impact on prognosis and treatment of CLL
Formulate strategies for treatment of patients with CLL based on clinical evidence and patient and disease factors
Implement management strategies to address treatment adverse events and patient adherence