Dr. Al-Sawaf on Testing for CKT in CLL

Othman Al-Sawaf, MD, physician, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany, discusses checking complex karyotype (CKT) in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

Patients with CLL should be checked for CKT before initiating therapy, explains Al-Sawaf. At the moment, according to Al-Sawaf, there are no data to indicate that patients who are asymptomatic should begin treatment, especially if they have a normal blood count. Rather, asymptomatic patients should abide by the watch-and-wait strategy.

When patients require treatment, Al-Sawaf suggests they be checked for CKT because there are direct therapeutic implications. Patients should be checked for CKT with their diagnostic workup, which includes IGHV status, TP53 status, and CKT, says Al-Sawaf. This should be done before treatment starts because it will guide the treatment chosen for that patient.

Al-Sawaf also recommends testing for CKT at relapse. Additionally, if a patient completes treatment, relapses, and requires additional treatment, the patient should have their CKT checked in case they did not receive the test before, concludes Al-Sawaf.