SARASOTA – Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) is the most common blood cancer diagnosed in the U.S. Dr. Jeff Sharman says there are about 20,000 new cases a year,and some who have it may not even know it.
“Patients can certainly live with the disease without a whole lot of external signs, but to the patients who have the disease, it’s a slow accumulation of these cancerous cells in their bone marrow, blood, lymph nodes and spleen,” Dr. Sharman said.
That results in weak immune systems.
“They’re more prone to infections; they certainly have a lot of fatigue; they might have some swollen lymph nodes,” Dr. Sharman said.
He says the average age of diagnosis is 70, making it a little tougher to diagnose because of the other medical issues that come with age. But now it’s getting a little easier to treat.
“What’s exciting is over the last handful of years, scientists have identified, ‘What causes CLL to grow? What turns it on; what turns it off?'” Dr. Sharman said.
That’s given them the ability to create targeted therapies, which are more precise and less invasive.
“Patients who take a pill twice a day can actually have improved outcomes compared to chemotherapy,” Dr. Sharman said.
The drug, Calquence, was recently approved by the FDA after a clinical trial. Research Coordinator and Nurse Nichole Fisher says the side effects are minimal.
“You’re used to patients feeling ill; that’s the expectation,” Fisher said, “with nausea, vomiting, hair loss, just an overall unwell feeling.”
She says the new medication gives them their life back.
“It’s a lot easier to plan and just take a pill and have it go with you,” Fisher said.