According to a story from Onclive, combination therapies are likely to play an increasing role in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. In this video, leukemia treatment experts discuss the latest developments in finding the newest and most effective treatment combinations for this disease. These combinations are designed to improve patient outcomes and reduce the toxic effects of treatments like chemotherapy.
About Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is a form of blood cancer which affects lymphocytes, which are a type of white blood cell. The disease may not cause noticeable symptoms in its early stages. This cancer is linked to certain genetic mutations; notable risk factor for this blood cancer include old age, being male, exposure to certain insecticides, exposure to Agent Orange, and family history. Symptoms of chronic lymphocytic leukemia include fever, anemia, swollen lymph nodes, weight loss, and fatigue. It is also possible for this disease to transform into a more aggressive and faster progressing type of blood cancer like Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Treatment for this disease focuses mostly on controlling symptoms, and there is no cure. These treatments may include radiation therapy, chemotherapy, surgery, bone marrow transplant, or biological therapy. As it is a slow growing cancer, the five year survival rate is 83 percent. To learn more about chronic lymphocytic leukemia, click here.
Finding The Best Combination Therapy
Dr. Susan O’Brien discusses a recent clinical trial testing a treatment regimen called iFCG. This approach consisted of of the small molecule drug ibrutinib, the chemotherapy drugs fludarabine and cyclophosphamide, and obinituzumab, a monoclonal antibody. iFCG was tested in patients with a V gene mutation. Results from this trial were encouraging and were measured by the presence of minimal residual disease, which is associated with cancer relapse. In the trial, patients who were negative for minimal residual disease were permitted to stop therapy. This trial also reduced chemotherapy cycles to just three, reducing toxicity.
The Future of Combination Therapy in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
Dr. Matthew Davids also discussed a similar trial of FCR (fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab). Dr. Alexey Danilov says that the downside of many standard therapies is that they are currently to be taken indefinitely. One goal of treatment would be to find a combination that can eventually get the patient to the point where they will no longer have to receive constant treatment.
The future of combination therapies will involve trying to narrow down the best combinations that are the least toxic, most effective, and, ideally, time-limited.