News

Considering factors for upfront therapy in CLL

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Richard R. Furman, M.D., Morton Coleman, M.D. Distinguished Associate Professor of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine/NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, spoke to OncLive about factors to consider when choosing upfront therapy for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

It’s important to keep in mind that the algorithm always needs to be tailored to the one that will show the highest efficacy and tolerability for the patient, Furman explains. Ibrutinib (Imbruvica) is his first-line choice for most patients who require treatment for their CLL.

However, there are some patients for whom ibrutinib might be less optimal for. In these cases, Furman will use obinutuzumab (Gazyva) or venetoclax (Venclexts) for treatment.