Abstract
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common adult leukemia and it typically
afflicts older adults, with a median age at diagnosis of 71. Traditional treatments
for CLL have included chemotherapy, which can often be difficult for older patients
to tolerate. Given the variability in fitness, cognition and comorbidities amongst
older patients, a geriatric evaluation should be considered prior to commencement
of cytotoxic therapy. More recently, novel oral agents are proving to be both safe
and effective in this population, redefining the field of CLL therapy. In this article
we describe high and low-risk disease and discuss contemporary treatment paradigms.
We will discuss how the inclusion of targeted therapies may improve outcomes in older
patients with CLL being treated in the frontline and relapsed settings. Finally, we
will touch on new treatments and combination therapies that are undergoing further
study and discuss their potential utility in the older patient with CLL.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: May 06, 2017
Accepted:
April 20,
2017
Received in revised form:
February 20,
2017
Received:
October 28,
2016
Identification
Copyright
© 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
