Description:

There have been major improvements in the management of CLL as well as in our understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of disease. The overall theme of this session is to understand the molecular mechanisms that underlie poor prognosis CLL and how an increased understanding of these processes will lead to improvement in disease management. The emergence of B cell receptor antagonists has been a major advance to improve outcome in patients with relapsed and poor prognosis CLL.

Now that increased numbers of patients have received these agents, resistance is emerging and Dr. Jennifer Woyach will discuss what is known about the molecular basis of the mechanisms of resistance to B cell receptor antagonists.

Dr. Claire Dearden will discuss poor prognosis variants including prolymphocytic leukemia and how we can improve outcome for these patients.

Dr. Stephan Stilgenbauer will discuss emerging prognostic markers in CLL and will in particular focus on ways that these markers that will help stratify treatment decisions in CLL.