Prognostic factors in CLL

Are prognostic factors in CLL overrated?

The last decade has seen major changes in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), with randomized trials now demonstrating improved survival with the use of chemoimmunotherapy.[1] This has led to a paradigm shift in the treatment expectations in CLL, from palliation of symptoms to improved survival, achievement of complete remission, and eradication of minimal residual disease; com...

Prognostic factors in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL)

CHRONIC LYMPHOCYTIC LEUKEMIA Biology and prognostic factors in CLL

The immunoglobulin heavy and light chain genes which encode the antigen binding site of the B cell receptor (BCR) in CLL may be either mutated or unmutated raising the question as to whether CLL originates from a single, or more than one target cell. Microarray studies performed to address this issue have been inconclusive but do show a common ‘‘CLL signature’’ quite similar to that of both nor...

Prognostic Significance of Smudge Cells in Cll

Recently developed prognostic tests in early Rai and Binet stage chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) require considerable technologic expertise and are not available worldwide. Smudge cells are CLL cells ruptured during smear preparation. We hypothesized that smudge cell formation is inversely correlated with expression of vimentin, a cytoskeletal protein and prognostic marker, and that the perc...

A new prognostic score for CLL.

In this issue of Blood, Pflug et al describe the new prognostic score published by the German Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Study Group (GCLLSG).