Community Practice Connections™: How to Do It™ Interactive Workshop: Taking Action With Clinical Advances in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Release Date: January 31, 2021
Expiration Date: January 31, 2022

Activity Overview

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most prevalent leukemia in adults, and although it typically progresses slowly, relapsed/refractory disease and the development of resistance to standard therapies are common. Risk stratification and staging in CLL drive therapeutic choice and influence outcomes, and once established, CLL therapeutic choice can range from no treatment in asymptomatic patients who are low to intermediate risk, to treatment with single-agent or combination protocols in patients who are high to very high risk. Although CLL has traditionally been treated with chemotherapeutic strategies such as fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab (FCR), many patients do not have the performance status to tolerate chemotherapeutic approaches. Based on the understanding of the pathophysiology of CLL, novel agents that target the B-cell receptor (BCR), Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), and B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) have rapidly transformed treatment algorithms. Practitioners face a continuous challenge to stay current with advances, as they strive to provide the best care for their patients.
 
This Community Practice Connection™ program provides an in-depth review of some of the key highlights from the live virtual symposium held on December 4, 2020. This unique and engaging multimedia activity is ideal for the community-based clinician and focuses on the practical aspects of managing patients with CLL, while putting recent clinical trial data into a clinical context. The program is designed for those who did not attend the live meeting and would help to reinforce learnings for those who did.

Acknowledgement of Commercial Support

This activity is supported by educational grants from AstraZeneca, Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC and Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company.
 

Target Audience

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this activity, you should be better prepared to:
 

• Assess risk stratification methods in patients with CLL and application of patient risk categories for treatment identification
• Evaluate emerging trends in management of patients with CLL through multiple lines of therapy and the influence of previous regimens on subsequent therapies
• Describe the role of minimal residual disease (MRD) testing as a tool for prognosis and treatment selection in patients with CLL
• Discuss strategies to proactively mitigate and manage treatment-related adverse effects that occur with current and emerging approaches, including combination treatment strategies

Faculty, Staff, and Planners’ Disclosures

In accordance with ACCME Guidelines, PER^® has identified and resolved all COI for faculty, staff, and planners prior to the start of this activity by using a multistep process.

Faculty

Richard R. Furman, MD
Director, CLL Research Center
Morton Coleman, MD Distinguished Professor of Medicine
Weill Cornell Medical College
New York, NY

Disclosures: Grant Research Support: Acerta/AstraZeneca, Janssen, TG Therapeutics; Consultant: AbbVie, Acerta/AstraZeneca, BeiGene, Genentech, Janssen, Loxo Oncology, MorphoSys, Pharmacyclics, Sanofi, TG Therapeutics, Verastem Oncology; Speakers Bureau: Janssen; Other: Incyte (DSMD)

Farrukh T. Awan, MD
Associate Professor, Internal Medicine
Director, Lymphoid Malignancies Program
Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, TX

Disclosures: Consultant: AbbVie, AstraZeneca, BeiGene, Celgene, Dava Oncology, Gilead, Incyte, Janssen, Johnson & Johnson, Karyopharm, Kite Pharma, MEI Pharma, Pharmacyclics, Verastem Oncology

Asher Chanan-Khan, MBBS, MD
Professor of Medicine
Mayo Clinic
Jacksonville, FL

Disclosures: No relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose

Steven Coutre, MD
Professor of Medicine (Hematology)
Stanford University Medical Center
Stanford, CA

Disclosures:Grant Research Support: AbbVie, Acerta, Gilead, Janssen, Pharmacyclics, Takeda; Consultant: AbbVie, Adaptive, Astellas, AstraZeneca, Genentech, Gilead, Janssen, Pharmacyclics; Other: Data Safety Monitoring Committee: BeiGene; Clinical Trial Steering Committee: Acerta; Honoraria: Janssen, Pharmacyclics, (CME accredited) Imedex, Medscape; Travel Expenses: AbbVie, BeiGene, Genentech, Janssen, Pharmacyclics; Expert Witness: Genentech

The staff of Physicians' Education Resource^®, LLC (PER^®) have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose.

Off-Label Disclosure and Disclaimer

This activity may or may not discuss investigational, unapproved, or off-label use of drugs. Learners are advised to consult prescribing information for any products discussed. The information provided in this accredited activity is for continuing education purposes only and is not meant to substitute for the independent clinical judgment of a healthcare professional relative to diagnostic, treatment, or management options for a specific patient’s medical condition. The opinions expressed in the content are solely those of the individual faculty members and do not reflect those of PER^® or any company that provided commercial support for this activity.