Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)

• CLL is the most common leukemia that affects adults in the United States and Europe, accounting for 25% to 30% of all adult leukemias^1,2
  • In 2009, an estimated 15,490 new patients were diagnosed in the US while the prevalence was approximately 95,000 in 2008^3,4
  • Geographic and ethnic differences are particularly important. In Asian countries, CLL represents only 5% of all leukemias. In the United States, Caucasians have the highest incidence,¹ followed by African Americans and Hispanics^5-7
• CLL is considered to be mainly a disease of the elderly, accounting for 40% of all leukemias in patients over age 65⁸
  • From 2002 to 2006, the median age of diagnosis was 72 years⁴
• CLL is a lymphoid malignancy that occurs in a heterogeneous patient population^5-7
  • Patients may be risk stratified into low-, intermediate-, and high-risk categories based on prognostic factors, which may influence the approach to treatment⁹
    • Differences in cell morphology, immunophenotype, cytogenetics, and molecular characteristics impact the clinical courses of disease and individual patient response¹⁰ (Figure 1)
    • The effect of aging upon medical fitness and comorbidities differs greatly among individuals, and is a very important factor to consider when deciding on a treatment strategy¹¹

Figure 1. Heterogeneity of disease biology influences outcomes.¹⁰

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