Ferrajoli’s Highlights From SOHO 2024 on CLL Therapy

Alessandra Ferrajoli, MD, hematologist/oncologist, associate professor of medicine, Department of Leukemia, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the session she was a part of at the 2024 Society of Hematologic Oncology Annual Meeting.

Here, she highlights some of the key takeaways for oncologists treating patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia based on the presentation.

Transcription:

0:09 | We had the pleasure of reviewing how to manage toxicities with targeted therapy in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and we went and reviewed how we manage toxicity and the relevant toxicity and components that we look at when we treat patients with BCL2 inhibitors. That was the first presentation by Barbara F. Eichhorst, MD. And then we moved to the [Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors, and that was from Lydia Scarfò, MD. And then, because now things are really moving in the combination field, where we use both targeted therapy, BCL2 targeted and BTK targeted therapy together, we then had Catherine C. Coombs, MD, gave us a review regarding combinations.

0:56 | There were some important points that were presented. There was very interesting data that compared all the different [adverse] effects with all the targeted therapy that were presented by Dr. Eichhorst, and showed how maybe some BTK may be a little bit better tolerated than others. Definitely the second-generation seems to have less toxicity than the first-generation. But also, she gave some tips on how to handle patients that present with a very high white [blood cell] count. She presented that experience with bendamustine to reduce the white count, and I think that was particularly important.

1:38 | Then when we moved to the combos, there was also very nice data showing how most of the combination trials that use both BTK inhibitors and BCL2 inhibitors, and sometimes even with the third element of an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies, as long as you monitor for neutropenia, that seems to be the most common toxicity, are actually very well-tolerated too.