First line treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Abstract:

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common leukemia in Croatia. The disease is characterized by variable symptoms and signs and clinical course. Usually, the disease has an indolent clinical course and not all patients require treatment at the time of the diagnosis. Indication for treatment initiation is active disease. Diagnostics and treatment of CLL have improved significantly over the last decade. The choice of the treatment depends on the age, general condition of the patient as well as the characteristics of the disease. The conventional chemotherapy is now less used in the treatment of CLL, while the backbone of treatment are targeted drugs such as oral Bruton‘s tyrosine kinase inhibitors (ibrutinib, acalabrutinib, zanubrutinib, pirtobrutinib), BCL2 inhibitors (venetoclax) and combinations of targeted drugs and monoclonal antibodies (obinutuzumab).

Key words:
BTK inhibitors; BCL2 antagonist; chronic lymphocytic leukemia; IGHV; TP53