Barbara Eichhorst from the University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany, presents results from clinical trials testing an intensive fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, rituximab (FCR) regime on young patients with CLL, 50% of who are still in remission. Despite promising progress from the study, it is still not known whether these patients will relapse in the future. Venetoclax is often prescribed after chemoimmunotherapy and ibrutinib fail as earlier treatments. However, Prof. Eichhorst reports clinical trials where abandoning chemoimmunotherapy prolongs the sequence of treatment in patients. Other challenges for medication over chemoimmunotherapy are the higher costs in studies, as well as patients stopping treatment due to side effects. This interview was recorded at the 2018 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO ) Annual Meeting, held in Houston, TX.
Medication over chemoimmunotherapy? How best to treat CLL
