Mode of Progression After Frontline Treatment Predicts Clinical Outcomes in Patients With CLL

[AussieNeil]

Not only is CLL heterogeneous in watch and wait, that's also the case after treatment. An analysis of over 2,000 patients from three German CLL Study Group clinical trials has identified that unfit patients developing lymphadenopathy (swelling nodes) have a significantly lower median overall survival (OS) than fit patients or patients that develop increasing absolute lymphocyte counts. The authors concluded that “the results suggest that progression by lymphadenopathy is associated with a less favorable clinical course, in particular in unfit patients with CLL. This might help physicians in managing their patients and researchers in designing future clinical trials.”

The clinical trials included in the evaluation were FCR vs FC, FCR vs BR and obinutuzumab in combination with chlorambucil as compared to rituximab plus chlorambucil or chlorambucil. What we don't know is whether the same pattern is true for those treated with the newer inhibitory treatments.

hematologyadvisor.com/home/...

Yet another reason to maintain/improve our fitness: healthunlocked.com/cllsuppo...

Neil

This is an unlocked post

[Mystic75]

Thanks for the post, Neil. Love the picture - looks like a scene from the movie 'The African Queen' with Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn!

[cllady01 Former Volunteer in reply to Mystic75]

"the Calla Lilies are blooming" but I don't see them---don't remember seeing them in the movie either---I saw African Queen at my first time to go to a Drive-in theater with a half sister and her family---otherwise, I'd never remember anything about it. It made an impression on a 12 year old.

[Mystic75 in reply to cllady01]

I love those old movies. The reference to Calla Lilies was from another movie. but I understand they are native to Africa so there was a missed opportunity! A while back someone gave me Calla Lily bulbs but I didn't dig them up before the winter so, as they say, that was that!

[cllady01 Former Volunteer in reply to Mystic75]

So much for the verity of our memories, huh? I just looked up the quote and it was said in "Stage Door", which I don't even remember, but probably saw. It actually was "...the Calla Lilies are in bloom again."

I think, the reason I have that in my bank of memories at all is that it was perhaps a Carol Burnett skit parodying Hepburn.

[Mystic75 in reply to cllady01]

LOL - Carol Burnett was so funny doing those parodies. I still laugh at her Scarlett O'Hara routine with the curtain rod whenever it is on TV - probably laughed at that 50 times over my lifetime.

Whoops, I'm dating myself!!

[DebKat999 in reply to Mystic75]

Mystic that was one of my all time favorite skits of the Carol Burnett show, I never missed an episode!

[mrsjsmith in reply to DebKat999]

Don’t think she made it across the pond ! Lucille did though. 🙂

[DebKat999 in reply to mrsjsmith]

Colette Lucy was incredible, and Carol Burnett was the very first (and maybe the only? 🤔) fan letter that I ever wrote...talk about dating myself! I was about 9 or 10 years old perhaps, and I remember being so thrilled and excited when I recieved a letter back in reply! 🙂

[Mystic75 in reply to DebKat999]

Deb - that is so cool!!! So glad the subject came up - would have never know that about you!!!

[mrsjsmith in reply to Mystic75]

Well remembered ! I looked it up because I thought it was the one where Bette Davis ? is going blind and in her garden. Stage Door was a group of actresses in a boarding house and all fighting for parts ! Seem to remember it ended badly 🤔

[Mystic75 in reply to mrsjsmith]

I remember the one with Bette Davis - I think it was 'Dark Victory'! Can't remember much other than she went blind. Stage Door also had Lucille Ball in it - who knew then she would become such a big TV star.

[mrsjsmith in reply to Mystic75]

Great memory ! Just looked it up ! Going blind and was in her garden with a friend and she comments that the sun ☀️ has gone in, only it hasn’t and she is dying ! They don’t make films like that anymore. The Thin Man series my favourites.

[Mystic75 in reply to mrsjsmith]

I think I cried, too, when she was in the garden the first time I watched it - I was a young teenager at the time. I also liked 'Now, Voyager', too! Saw 'All About Eve' not too long ago.

No they don't make films like that any more. I absolutely LOVE the Thin Man series. They were SO good!!! I love the movie sets, the clothes, Myrna Loy and especially, the dog Asta. We watch them whenever they are on TCM (Turner Classics). Missed the one on the 12th but there is one scheduled for the 29th!

I'm getting so excited that now I'm wondering why I don't just buy the DVDs so I can watch them whenever I want.

I'm retired - I can do this!!!

[J_88]

Don't most people eventually get swollen nodes the higher their ALC gets.

[AussieNeil Partner Administrator in reply to J_88]

Not necessarily. Remember CLL is a highly heterogeneous illness...

[Big_Dee in reply to J_88]

Hi J_88

I for example had very little node swelling and now after treatment all nodes are normal. I don't recall what my ALC was right before I started treatment, but my WBC went from 15K to 197K in 14 months. My treatment trigger was low hemoglobin and platelets.

[mrsjsmith]

Neil I am so sorry we seem to have hijacked your original post ! Memory meander about old films. 🙁

[DebKat999 in reply to mrsjsmith]

I apologize as well.

[AussieNeil Partner Administrator in reply to DebKat999]

No worries! Interesting to observe the evocative power of my photography.

[Mystic75 in reply to AussieNeil]

[scarletnoir]

As you say... keeping fit can only improve our lives, whether in quality or duration. I know that some forum members will have mobility issues, so the exact form of exercise needs to be individually tailored.

In my case, walking the dog daily (see avatar!) is a big help, plus a weekly cycle ride of 10-15 miles... I try to go as fast as I can (not very fast) to keep the heart rate up - on a quiet road. My fellow countryman Geraint Thomas is indeed an inspiration for this, as he tries to win the Tour de France for a second year... obvioulsy, he goes about 4-5 times faster than I do even flat out!

[Jm954 Administrator]

There is a later duplicate post on the same subject. The link is here:

healthunlocked.com/cllsuppo...

Jackie