http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8905-0220
![Sample our Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing & Allied Health journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5944/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Medicine-Dentistry-Nursing-Allied-Health.jpg"})
Abstract
Richter’s transformation (RT) refers to the development of an aggressive lymphoma in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Approximately, 2–10% of patients with CLL develop RT, most often as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. To assess the incidence of RT, we examined risk factors for RT and death among patients with RT in a nationwide CLL cohort (from 2008 to 2016). Among 3772 patients, 113 had biopsy-proven RT. With a median follow-up of 4.3 years, the 5-year cumulative incidence of RT was 2.8%. Advanced Binet stage (B/C) (p<.001), unmutated IGHV (p<.001), and del(17p) (p<.001) were independently associated with risk of developing RT. Half of the patients with RT (49%) were treatment-naïve prior to transformation and demonstrated longer survival after RT compared to patients previously treated for CLL (6.1 vs. 2.8 years, p=.03). Whether this finding could be explained by a higher proportion of clonally unrelated RT among treatment-naïve patients, remain to be addressed.
Acknowledgements
The authors specially thank all coauthors who have supported furthering research experience through collaboration and feedback.
Statement of prior presentation: Presented in abstract form at the 60th annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology, San Diego, CA, 1 December 2018. Presented in oral presentation form at the annual meeting of the Danish Society of Hematology, Middelfart, DK, 16 March 2019.
Disclosure statement
CUN received funding and/or consultancy fees from Janssen, Roche, Abbvie, Acerta, Sunesis, AstraZeneca, and BSL Behring outside this study. CC, CB, CP, EC, HB, HF, IC, LN, LE, MH, MC, MF, RP, and MA declare no conflicts of interest.