Dr. Ferrajoli on Remaining Challenges in Treatment of CLL

Alessandra Ferrajoli, MD, a professor of Medicine in the Department of Leukemia at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the challenges that still remain in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Ferrajoli shared this insight in an interview during the 2016 OncLive State of the Science Summit on Hematologic Malignancies.

Patients with CLL have an increased likelihood of developing secondary cancers and other diseases, often based on their age and gender, Ferrajoli explains. She advises the importance of all patients with CLL visiting with a dermatologist on an annual basis. Additionally, patients should report on if they have any type of skin lesion removed and what the diagnosis was. Patients should also be proactive, she adds, and keep a schedule for their health maintenance and requirement—beyond colonoscopy, prostate checks, and mammograms.

Additional steps that patients can take is to receive their annual flu immunization and pneumonia immunization. They should also contact their oncologists if they travel abroad to certain countries to review appropriate health precautions, she explains.