Venetoclax and Obinutuzumab in Patients with CLL and Coexisting Conditions

A formula has been developed to predict creatinine clearance (C cr ) from serum creatinine (S cr ) in adult males: Ccr = (140 – age) (wt kg)/72 × S cr (mg/100ml) (15% less in females). Derivation included the relationship found between age and 24-hour creatinine excretion/kg in 249 patients aged 18–92. Values for C cr were predicted by this formula and four other methods and the results compared with the means of two 24-hour C cr’s measured in 236 patients. The above formula gave a correlation coefficient between predicted and mean measured Ccr·s of 0.83; on average, the difference between predicted and mean measured values was no greater than that between paired clearances. Factors for age and body weight must be included for reasonable prediction.

Clinical trials that led to ibrutinib’s approval for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia showed that its side effects differ from those of traditional chemotherapy. Reasons for discontinuation in clinical practice have not been adequately studied. We conducted a retrospective analysis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients treated with ibrutinib either commercially or on clinical trials. We aimed to compare the type and frequency of toxicities reported in either setting, assess discontinuation rates, and evaluate outcomes. This multicenter, retrospective analysis included ibrutinib-treated chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients at nine United States cancer centers or from the Connect® Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Registry. We examined demographics, dosing, discontinuation rates and reasons, toxicities, and outcomes. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival. Six hundred sixteen ibrutinib-treated patients were identified. A total of 546 (88%) patients were treated with the commercial drug. Clinical trial patients were younger (mean age 58 versus 61 years, P=0.01) and had a similar time from diagnosis to treatment with ibrutinib (mean 85 versus 87 months, P=0.8). With a median follow-up of 17 months, an estimated 41% of patients discontinued ibrutinib (median time to ibrutinib discontinuation was 7 months). Notably, ibrutinib toxicity was the most common reason for discontinuation in all settings. The median progression-free survival and overall survival for the entire cohort were 35 months and not reached (median follow-up 17 months), respectively. In the largest reported series on ibrutinib- treated chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients, we show that 41% of patients discontinued ibrutinib. Intolerance as opposed to chronic lymphocytic leukemia progression was the most common reason for discontinuation. Outcomes remain excellent and were not affected by line of therapy or whether patients were treated on clinical studies or commercially. These data strongly argue in favor of finding strategies to minimize ibrutinib intolerance so that efficacy can be further maximized. Future clinical trials should consider time-limited therapy approaches, particularly in patients achieving a complete response, in order to minimize ibrutinib exposure.

The purpose of the research was to demonstrate that comorbid health conditions disproportionately affect elderly cancer patients. Descriptive analyses and stacked area charts were used to examine the prevalence and severity of comorbid ailments by age of 27,506 newly diagnosed patients treated at one of eight cancer centers between 1998 and 2003. Hypertension was the most common ailment in all patients, diabetes was the second most prevalent ailment in middle-aged patients, and previous solid tumor(s) were the second most prevalent ailment in patients aged 74 and older. Although the prevalence and severity of comorbid ailments including dementia and congestive heart failure increased with age, some comorbidities such as HIV/AIDS and obesity decreased. Advances in cancer interventions have increased survivorship, but the impact of the changing prevalence and severity of comorbidities at different ages has implications for targeted research into targeted clinical and psychosocial interventions.