Chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is one of the most common hematological neoplasms and is the most common leukemia in western industrial nations. According to the World Health Organization classification, CLL is an indolent B‑cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Diagnosis requires an increase of B‑lymphocytes to more than 5.0 G/l as well as detection of CD5- and CD19-positive B‑lymphocytes. Symptoms can be B symptoms, fatigue or frequent infections. Therapy is only required if there are pronounced symptoms or changes in the blood count, such as a relevant drop in hemoglobin and/or platelets. The prognosis strongly depends on the individual molecular and cytogenetic risk factors. For a long time, the first-line treatment was characterized by chemotherapy in combination with CD20 antibodies. In recent years, the approval of new targeted drugs has changed the treatment landscape significantly and has led to a shift towards chemotherapy-free regimens.