Leukemia

Tina Cancio, founder of the LGL Leukemia Foundation, recalls her battle with LGL Leukemia.

An overview of leukemia with information about risk factors, common symptoms, and treatments options, including immunotherapy.

A rundown of the 4 main types of leukemia: acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) will be hosting its 8th Annual Rocky Mountain Blood Cancer Conference on Saturday, April 7, 2018, at the Hyatt Regency Aurora-Denver Conference Center. LLS Blood Cancer Conferences are free education events for blood cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, family members and healthcare professionals.

Shaun Willson’s story is one of daring independence and strength, as he championed through an acute myeloid leukemia diagnosis while also being the primary caregiver to his wife, Deborah, during her battle with metastatic cancer.

This is the first treatment that targets patients with AML and the FLT3-ITD mutation. In this clinical trial, patients who received quizartinib lived longer without disease progression than those receiving chemotherapy.

In recent years, new treatments for acute myeloid leukemia have improved outcomes. In 2017, 2 new drugs were approved for patients with this type of blood cancer linked to a specific biomarker.

This is the first time the FDA has used minimal residual disease (MRD) as a biomarker to approve a specific treatment for patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

New therapies that are now available for people with this type of cancer have fewer side effects than traditional chemotherapy and can improve survival and quality of life.

Joyce Beecher vividly recounts her cancer journey as a caregiver to her husband, Rich Beecher, who was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in 2003. Listen to Joyce’s story as she describes their determination to find the best care and treatment for Rich, and encourages patients and caregivers to never give up.

Diagnosed in 2003, Rich Beecher has been living with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) for 15 years. Rich describes his cancer journey – from “Why me?” to focusing on the positive things in his life, including immersing himself more in photography.

After his father’s diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, 10-year-old Rhett is determined to become an oncologist to help other patients with cancer.

CLL is difficult to diagnose, because the symptoms only manifest in the later stages of the disease. As in all types of care, a late diagnosis often means worse prognosis.

Knowing if the patient’s chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has genetic abnormalities through genetic testing can help doctors select the best treatment.

In July 2018, the FDA approved Tibsovo (ivo-sidenib; from Agios Pharmaceuticals), the first IDH1 inhibitor, for the treatment of adults with relapsed (returning) or refractory (not responding to treatment) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and a susceptible IDH1 genetic mutation.

New findings show that starting with a targeted therapy regimen instead of chemotherapy improves outcomes for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, particularly for those under age 70.

Nurse Navigator Claire White describes the way she tells her patients what CAR T-cell therapy is and how it works.

This new chemotherapy-free combination of Imbruvica, a targeted therapy, plus Gazyva, a CD20-directed cytolytic antibody, was recently approved by the FDA as first-line treatment of adults aged 65 or older who are newly diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL).

Results of a recent study showed that using the targeted therapy Imbruvica (ibrutinib) as the first treatment in older adults with CLL was better than the combination of chemotherapy plus immunotherapy in slowing the progression of the disease.

Martin Miralda was fresh out of college when a short visit to the United States helped to save his life after he was diagnosed with leukemia. Despite his lacking health insurance as a non-resident, he received superior medical care through “Charity Care,” a service that covers necessary hospitalization for uninsured people in the country and is available in several states.

In May 2019, the FDA approved Tibsovo for the treatment of older patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and an IDH1 mutation, or for patients with AML who are unable to use intensive chemotherapy.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common type of leukemia in adults. Recently, several new drug combinations without chemotherapy have been approved by the FDA for patients with CLL, providing patients new options when their cancer stops responding to current treatment.

Until recently, the initial treatment for patients with CLL was chemotherapy alone. New targeted therapies are now available for use as the first treatment for CLL. At the 2019 ASCO meeting, 2 experts discussed the benefits of these new treatments.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy could soon expand into chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Early clinical trials have shown responses in patients with CLL refractory to other therapies. Predicting which patients will respond is key to advancing CAR T-cell therapy into CLL.

Targeted therapy is at the forefront of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) treatment. In many cases, targeted agents offer superior outcomes to chemotherapy, with more manageable side effects. Multiple targeted therapy options are available, and some choices depend on certain molecular markers.

Cytogenetic testing is used to identify genomic aberrations in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). It estimates a patient’s outcomes and can predict response to certain therapies, and therefore is recommended for all patients with CLL at diagnosis.

A new study presented at a major medical meeting showed that fewer patients with treatment-naïve chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who were treated with acalabrutinib alone or in combination with obinutuzumab had disease progression or died compared with a group of patients treated with the combination of obinutuzumab and chemotherapy.

A 3-drug regimen of acalabrutinib, venetoclax, and obinutuzumab was highly effective in removing all traces of disease from the bone marrow of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, according to study results presented at the American Society of Hematology annual meeting.

In November 2019, the FDA approved a new treatment, Calquence, for patients with relapsed or refractory CLL or SLL.

People who are diagnosed with blood cancer need to learn enough about it without being overwhelmed, and to take part in their treatment decisions. Communicate important personal information to your care team.

There are important changes to beneficiaries’ Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage for 2020. These changes can affect how much patients must pay out of pocket for their medications, including certain cancer drugs.

In an updated analysis of 134 patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who were treated with acalabrutinib monotherapy, more than 90% were still responding after 41 months of treatment.