Dr. Rai on Handicaps of Chemotherapy in CLL

Kanti R. Rai, MD, professor, The Karches Center for Oncology Research, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, director, Center for Oncology and Cell Biology, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, professor, Medicine and Molecular Medicine, Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, discusses the downfalls of chemotherapy in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

Traditionally, chemotherapy has been the standard of care for CLL. Newer developments, though, have been targeted treatments. More enzymatic points have been identified, which are unique to the leukemic cell, says Rai.

The inability to preserve normal bone marrow cells is the main handicap of chemotherapy, says Rai. The hope in developing a treatment to target those points is to preserve a patient’s normal bone marrow cells.