Immunotherapy in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Excerpt

The present Symposium in Writing is entitled Immunotherapy in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (referred to as CLL). CLL is a mature B cell neoplasm characterized by peripheral blood lymphocytosis together with lymphocyte infiltration in the bone marrow [5]. In nearly all cases the malignant cells express CD5 along with CD19, CD23 and low levels of CD20 [5]. This is the most common adult leukemia in Western countries with an average incidence of 2.7 persons with CLL per 100,000 in the United States [5]. The risk of developing CLL increases progressively with age and is two times higher for men than for women. Because of the relative indolence the disease accounts for approximately 0.8% of all cancers and nearly 30% of all leukemias at any point in time [5]. …