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Pharmacotherapeutic Management of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia in Patients with Comorbidities: New Agents, New Hope

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Abstract

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is mostly considered a disease of the elderly. As such, many patients present with comorbidities. Several scores allow for a qualitative and quantitative assessment of comorbidity in patients with CLL. Although our knowledge about the impact of comorbidity on outcomes in patients with CLL is still incomplete, it is becoming increasingly apparent that comorbidities could negatively interfere with CLL treatment. Recently, a number of new agents have been approved for use in patients with previously untreated CLL and comorbidities (i.e. obinutuzumab, ofatumumab), as well as in patients with previously treated or high-risk CLL (i.e. idelalisib, ibrutinib). This review discusses the role of comorbidity in patients with CLL, together with the changing treatment landscape for CLL in this patient population.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. German CLL Study Group, Department I of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Centre of Integrated Oncology Cologne-Bonn, 50924, Cologne, Germany

    Valentin Goede & Michael Hallek

  2. Department of Geriatric Medicine, St. Marien Hospital, Cologne, Germany

    Valentin Goede

  3. Cluster of Excellence Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany

    Michael Hallek

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Correspondence to Valentin Goede.

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VG has received fees from F. Hoffmann-La Roche, GlaxoSmithKline, Mundipharma and Bristol-Myers Squibb. MH has received fees from F. Hoffmann-La Roche, GlaxoSmithKline, Mundipharma, Janssen, Gilead and Celgene.

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Goede, V., Hallek, M. Pharmacotherapeutic Management of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia in Patients with Comorbidities: New Agents, New Hope. Drugs Aging 32, 877–886 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40266-015-0308-3

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