Articles related to LEUKEMIA

This study demonstrates how pharmacists can improve patient safety and dramatically save costs in the management of chronic myeloid leukemia by highlighting the possibility of pharmacist-led TKI cessation programs.

Discover how a groundbreaking trial using a new CRISPR gene-editing technique has successfully treated a patient with T-cell leukemia, a form of the disease resistant to conventional treatments. Learn how this innovative approach could revolutionize the treatment of various diseases affecting the blood, bone marrow, and immune systems.

Bridging the Gap: Twinning Programs Improve Pediatric Cancer Survival Rates Across Borders In a world where a few miles can determine the fate of a child with cancer, twinning programs are making a significant difference. These initiatives, which pair hospitals across borders, are helping to bridge the survival gap in pediatric acute leukemia between high-income and lower-income countries. Key Points: “There’s no pediatric centers in many of the mountain west states. If your kid gets cancer in Wyoming, you gotta go to Utah or Colorado or Mayo in Minnesota. But here, there’s really nice evidence that providing the right protocols, training, staff, and more, we could do this in more places and improve outcomes without developing a new drug.” Gwen Nichols, chief medical officer of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

In the phase III GAIA–CLL13 study, researchers investigated time-limited treatment options for fit patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and a low burden of coexisting conditions. The study compared the efficacy of chemoimmunotherapy with venetoclax-obinutuzumab, both with and without ibrutinib. The results showed that the venetoclax-based regimens were superior to chemoimmunotherapy in terms of achieving undetectable minimal residual disease and longer progression-free survival (PFS). The percentages of patients with undetectable minimal residual disease were remarkably high, with 86.5% in the venetoclax-obinutuzumab group and 92.2% in the venetoclax-obinutuzumab-ibrutinib group, among the highest reported in first-line treatment for CLL. The study confirmed the significant prognostic value of undetectable minimal residual disease at the end of time-limited treatment, as it translated into superior PFS. The study emphasized the need for treatment options for fit CLL patients with normal renal function, as data from prospective, randomized clinical studies evaluating the safety and efficacy of venetoclax-obinutuzumab in this specific patient population were lacking. The study demonstrated that the venetoclax-obinutuzumab-ibrutinib combination had a higher incidence of tumor lysis syndrome compared to venetoclax-ibrutinib, likely due to the simultaneous administration of obinutuzumab with ibrutinib, leading to rapid depletion of CLL cells. The findings highlight the importance of continuing […]

Nutritional challenges are common in older adults with acute leukemia (AML/MDS), and can have a significant impact on their quality of life and treatment outcomes. These challenges can be caused by a variety of factors, including the disease itself, its treatment, and the normal aging process. Some of the most common nutritional challenges in older adults with AML/MDS include appetite loss, weight loss, diarrhea, constipation, and mouth sores; physicians can provide nutritional interventions to help address these challenges and improve the quality of life for older adults with AML/MDS. These interventions may include nutrition counseling, meal planning, supplementation, and enteral nutrition.

This study compared the efficacy and safety of four different treatment regimens for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL): chemoimmunotherapy, venetoclax-rituximab, venetoclax-obinutuzumab, and venetoclax-obinutuzumab-ibrutinib. The results showed that the venetoclax-obinutuzumab-ibrutinib regimen was the most effective, with significantly higher rates of undetectable minimal residual disease (MRD) and progression-free survival (PFS) at 15 months and 3 years, respectively, compared to the other regimens. The venetoclax-obinutuzumab regimen was also effective, with significantly higher rates of undetectable MRD at 15 months compared to chemoimmunotherapy. However, there was no significant difference in PFS at 3 years between the venetoclax-obinutuzumab and chemoimmunotherapy regimens. The venetoclax-rituximab regimen was the least effective, with no significant difference in undetectable MRD or PFS at 15 months or 3 years compared to chemoimmunotherapy. The most common adverse events were infections, which were more common with chemoimmunotherapy and venetoclax-obinutuzumab-ibrutinib than with the other regimens.