Novel Prognostic Model Predictive of Survival in Ibrutinib-Treated Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
This article was originally published by Hematology Advisor
A 4-factor prognostic model may help to identify patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) at risk of ibrutinib failure, according to research published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
As CLL is a “clonal expansion of mature B cells drive by constitutive activation of B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling,” previous studies suggest that the selective inhibition of BCR and BCL-2 protein may significantly improve outcomes in some patients with CLL compared with chemotherapy as a first-line therapy.
Ibrutinib, a Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is frequently used in the CLL setting, though drug resistance invariably evolves, with relapse occurring often with ibrutinib monotherapy.
Identifying those at risk of relapse after ibrutinib therapy would improve treatment decision-making among patients with CLL. While there are existing prognostic indices, none specifically evaluate for criteria known to be linked with the evolution of ibrutinib resistance. In the present study, the researchers evaluated and validated the effectiveness of a 4-factor prognostic model among patients with CLL treated with ibrutinib.