Editorial
Tadeusz Robak
Abstract
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a mature B-cell lymphoid neoplasm characterized by the proliferation and accumulation of small CD5/CD19/CD23-positive lymphocytes in the blood, lymph nodes, spleen, liver and bone marrow. It is the most prevalent leukemia in the western world with an estimated 15,720 new cases in 2014 and almost 4600 attributable deaths per year in the United States. CLL is typically sensitive to a variety of cytotoxic drugs, but the disease is considered incurable. Cytotoxic agents, including chlorambucil, bendamustin and purine analogs, currently constitute the basis of the most frequently used therapeutic regimens. In addition, anti- CD20 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), rituximab and ofatumumab, and the anti-CD52 antibody alemtuzumab, alone or in combination with cytotoxic drugs, have been included for therapeutic options in this leukemia.