Efficacy of lenalidomide in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia with high-risk cytogenetics

Abstract

Patients with chronic lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL) with high-risk cytogenetics [del(11q)(q22.3) or del(17p)(p13.1)] have limited therapeutic options and their prognosis remains poor. This analysis was conducted to determine the clinical activity of lenalidomide in patients with high-risk disease. Relapsed/refractory patients with CLL enrolled in a phase II clinical trial who had del(11q)(q22.3) or del(17p)(p13.1) were included in this analysis. Patients received single agent lenalidomide for 21 days of the 4 week treatment cycle. The overall response rate among patients with high-risk cytogenetics was 38%, with 19% of patients achieving a complete response. Median progression-free survival was 12.1 months, which is higher than demonstrated with other agents in comparable patient populations. In addition, the estimated 2-year survival probability was 58%, demonstrating that the responses achieved with lenalidomide are durable, even in patients with CLL with high-risk disease with poor risk cytogenetics.

Keywords:

• Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
• lenalidomide
• high-risk cytogenetics
• fludarabine-refractory

Acknowledgments

A. C. K. is a Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Scholar. This research is partly funded by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (A. C. K.). Wei Tan and Dr. Greg Wilding worked on additional statistical analysis. K. Miller served as a member of Speaker's bureau Celgene and Millennium, M. Czuczman was a member of Celgene Advisory Board, R. Sood served as a member in Stocks in Celgene Corporation, and A. Chanan-Khan was a member of Celgene Advisory Board, speaker's Bureau of Celgene.