CHRONIC LYMPHOCYTIC LEUKEMIA WITH VARIANT GENETICS

Course overview

CHRONIC LYMPHOCYTIC LEUKEMIA (CLL) IS THE MOST COMMON TYPE OF LEUKEMIA, ACCOUNTING FOR 22 TO 30% OF CASES IN THE WESTERN WORLD. IT IS CHARACTERIZED AS A MATURE B-CELL MALIGNANCY ASSOCIATED WITH THE CLONAL PROLIFERATION OF B-CELLS. THE ETIOLOGY AND PATHOGENESIS OF CLL INVOLVE A MULTI-STEP PATHWAY THAT LEADS TO A CLONAL EXPANSION AND PROLIFERATION OF ABNORMAL OR MALIGNANT MATURE B LYMPHOCYTES. THIS CLONAL EXPANSION OF MALIGNANT B CELLS EXTENDS TO THE BONE MARROW, BLOOD, AND LYMPH NODES. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE ROLE OF VARIABLE GENETIC ALTERATIONS FOUND IN CHRONIC LYMPHOCYTIC LEUKEMIA IN TERMS OF PROGNOSIS. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE ROLE GENETIC VARIANTS HAVE IN THE EVALUATION AND TREATMENT OF CLL AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN IMPROVING CARE FOR PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.