With great power comes great responsibility: Managing side effects of novel treatments in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)

Authors

  • Versha Banerji, MD, FRCPC

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58931/cht.2022.1215

Abstract

The treatment paradigm shift in CLL has uprooted many clinicians’ standard practices. Previously, treatment largely depended on age, organ function and “fitness” based on clinical trials which used CIRS (cumulative illness rating scale) scores. Today, as a hematologist who mainly treats patients with CLL, treatment strategies are more complex and multi-factorial. Treatments are based on molecular profiling, which aids in the identification of lower-risk patients for time-limited treatment options versus higher-risk patients (IGVH unmutated, del 17p or TP534 ) who benefit from continuous therapies. The highest-risk patients can be identified using a staging system for CLL known as the CLL-International Prognostic Index (CLL-IPI). However, increased CIRS scores are prognostic for poor outcomes independent of the CLL-IPI. As a result, selecting the right treatment for the right individual has never been more important, especially in the era of novel therapeutics. This treatment selection decision pathway includes understanding both patient factors and medical factors that may influence patient outcomes.

Author Biography

Versha Banerji, MD, FRCPC

Dr. Versha Banerji obtained her MD and residency training in internal medicine and hematology at the University of Manitoba. She then completed a post-doctoral fellowship in translational research at the Harvard Cancer Centre/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Broad Institute of MIT. She is a senior scientist at the CancerCare Manitoba Research Institute, Associate Professor at the University of Manitoba, and a clinician-scientist at CancerCare Manitoba. She co-leads the CLL clinic and is involved in several clinical trials and population-based treatment studies. As co-chair of the CLL research program she manages a multi-disciplinary research team in clinical, fundamental and translational research. Her own laboratory is evaluating mitochondrial bioenergetics and function as a measure of cancer cell metabolism.

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Published

2022-07-01

How to Cite

1.
Banerji V. With great power comes great responsibility: Managing side effects of novel treatments in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Can Hematol Today [Internet]. 2022 Jul. 1 [cited 2024 Apr. 19];1(2):34–38. Available from: https://canadianhematologytoday.com/article/view/1-2-5-banerji

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