Appropriate use of bendamustine in first-line therapy of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Recommendations from SIE, SIES, GITMO Group

Antonio Cuneo; Monia Marchetti; Giovanni Barosi; Atto Billio; Maura Brugiatelli; Stefania Ciolli; Luca Laurenti; Francesca Romana Mauro; Stefano Molica; Marco Montillo; Pierluigi Zinzani; Sante Tura

doi:10.1016/j.leukres.2014.06.017

Appropriate use of bendamustine in first-line therapy of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Recommendations from SIE, SIES, GITMO Group

Leuk Res. 2014 Nov;38(11):1269-77. doi: 10.1016/j.leukres.2014.06.017. Epub 2014 Jul 7.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Section of Hematology, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Savonarola, 9, 44121 Ferrara, Italy. Electronic address: cut@unife.it.
² Unit of Hematology, Hospital "C. Massaia", Asti, Italy.
³ Unit of Clinical Epidemiology/Centro per lo Studio della Mielofibrosi, IRCCS Policlinico S. Matteo Foundation, Pavia, Italy.
⁴ Department of Hematology and TMO, Ospedale Centrale, Bolzano, Italy.
⁵ Divisione di Ematologia, Azienda Ospedaliera Papardo, Messina, Italy.
⁶ Division of Hematology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
⁷ Department of Hematology, Catholic University of Rome, "A. Gemelli" Hospital, Rome, Italy.
⁸ Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Cellulari ed Ematologia, Università degli Studi "La Sapienza", Roma, Italy.
⁹ Oncologia Medica, Azienda Ospedaliera Pugliese Ciaccio, Catanzaro, Italy.
¹⁰ Department of Oncology/Haematology, Division of Haematology, Niguarda Ca'Granda Hospital, Milan, Italy.
¹¹ Institute of Hematology and Medical Oncology "Seragnoli", University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
¹² University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.

PMID: 25063524
DOI: 10.1016/j.leukres.2014.06.017

Abstract

By using the GRADE system we produced the following recommendations for the use of bendamustine in the first-line treatment of CLL: (1) bendamustine with rituximab is recommended in elderly fit patients potentially eligible to FCR; (2) Bendamustine alone is recommended in patients who are candidate to chlorambucil alone; (3) Rituximab-bendamustine is recommended in patients not eligible to FCR, but suitable to receive rituximab. Consensus-based recommendations addressed evidence-orphan issues concerning the use of bendamustine in genetically-defined high-risk patients and the appropriate dose of bendamustine as single agent or in association with rituximab.

Keywords: Bendamustine; Chronic lymphocytic leukemia; First line treatment; Guidelines.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating / therapeutic use*
Bendamustine Hydrochloride
Humans
Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / drug therapy*
Nitrogen Mustard Compounds / therapeutic use*

Substances

Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating
Nitrogen Mustard Compounds
Bendamustine Hydrochloride