Consensus Recommendations on Treatment Selection and Sequencing in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia or Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma

Over the past decade, treatment recommendations for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) have rapidly evolved. This evolution has shifted from traditional chemoimmunotherapy to targeted therapies. Today, multiple new therapies have become available and patients who were once limited to treatment with chemoimmunotherapy now have many alternatives. Furthermore, healthcare providers have more options for individualizing treatment. However, in many cases, a lack of randomized clinical trial data comparing all treatment options makes selection of the optimal treatment for each patient challenging.

Additionally, many patients continue to receive chemoimmunotherapy in the United States, suggesting a gap between guidelines and real-world practice. To address these gaps, the Lymphoma Research Foundation convened a workshop comprised of a panel of CLL/SLL experts to develop consensus recommendations for the selection and sequencing of therapies for patients with CLL/SLL. Herein, the recommendations have been compiled for use as a practical clinical guide for treating providers. In summary, when a patient meets the criteria for treatment, selection of therapy should be individualized to each patient. In November 2024, these recommendations were published in Blood Advances.