RTP Mobile Logo

TARGET AUDIENCE
This activity is intended for hematologists, medical oncologists, hematology-oncology fellows and other healthcare providers involved in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

OVERVIEW OF ACTIVITY
An estimated 20,940 new cases of CLL will be diagnosed in the United States in 2018, with 4,510 deaths attributed to the disease. The clinical course of the disease and outcomes for patients vary widely, largely based on individual predictive and other risk factors. In recent years, the identification of cytogenetic abnormalities and their subsequent incorporation into traditional clinical staging systems has further refined clinicians’ ability to determine patient prognosis. While risk stratification plays an important role in treatment decision-making, the disease remains incurable. Thus, despite the availability of numerous effective agents and regimens, the inevitable mortality has led many to seek new and better management approaches. To this end, and based on an improved understanding of the biology of CLL, a number of novel agents and strategies have proven successful and are already available for use in the clinic. However, with the many exciting advances that are rapidly occurring, a number of vexing questions and clinical challenges are simultaneously emerging.

These proceedings from a CME/CNE symposium held during the 2018 Pan Pacific Lymphoma Conference use an innovative strategy to formally document and present the perspectives, experiences and preferred treatment approaches of 25 lymphoma-specific investigators. By providing information on the latest research developments and their potential application to routine practice, this activity is designed to assist hematologists, medical oncologists, hematology-oncology fellows and other healthcare providers involved in the treatment of CLL with the formulation of up-to-date clinical management strategies.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

  • Recognize the incidence, prognostic significance and potential clinical implications of select biomarkers and chromosomal abnormalities (eg, del[17p], del[11q], TP53 and IGHV gene mutations) associated with a diagnosis of CLL, and use this information to develop evidence-based testing algorithms in general oncology practice.
  • Individualize the selection of systemic therapy for patients with newly diagnosed CLL considering the patient’s clinical presentation (eg, performance status, comorbidities), biomarker profile (eg, cytogenetics) and psychosocial status (eg, desire for active treatment).
  • Appreciate the frequency with which biomarker transformation has been observed in patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) CLL, and consider this information when developing care strategies for individuals experiencing disease progression.
  • Review recent therapeutic advances and related FDA authorizations for patients with R/R CLL, and use this information to counsel patients regarding protocol and clinical therapy.
  • Design a plan of care to recognize and manage side effects and toxicities associated with the use of existing and recently approved systemic therapies in the management of CLL to support quality of life and continuation of therapy.
  • Assess the ongoing clinical trials evaluating novel investigational agents/regimens for CLL, and where applicable, refer eligible patients for trial participation or expanded access programs.

CME/CNE ACCREDITATION AND CREDIT DESIGNATION STATEMENTS

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint providership of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Center for Continuing Education (UNMC CCE), University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing Continuing Nursing Education (UNMC CON CNE) and Research To Practice.

PHYSICIANS: The University of Nebraska Medical Center, Center for Continuing Education is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

CME credit is no longer available for this issue

NURSES: The University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing Continuing Nursing Education is accredited with distinction as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

CNE credit is no longer available for this issue

FOR SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION
CME: This CME activity consists of a video component.
CME credit is no longer available for this issue

CNE: This CNE activity consists of a video component.
CNE credit is no longer available for this issue

CONTENT VALIDATION AND DISCLOSURES
It is the policy of the UNMC CCE and UNMC CON CNE to ensure balance, independence, objectivity and scientific rigor in all their educational symposia. All faculty, planners and managers participating in these activities are required to disclose any relevant financial relationship(s) they (or spouse/partner) have with a commercial interest that benefits the individual in any financial amount that has occurred within the past 12 months; and the opportunity to affect the content of CME/CNE about the products or services of the commercial interest. UNMC CCE, UNMC CON CNE and Research To Practice ensured that any conflicts of interest were resolved before the educational activity occurred.

FACULTY — The following faculty (and their spouses/partners) reported relevant conflicts of interest, which have been resolved through a conflict of interest resolution process:

Matthew S Davids, MD, MMSc
Associate Director, Center for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Boston, Massachusetts

Advisory Committee: Incyte Corporation, Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company, TG Therapeutics Inc; Consulting Agreements: AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, Celgene Corporation, Genentech, Janssen Biotech Inc, MEI Pharma Inc, Merck, Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company, Roche Laboratories Inc, Verastem Inc; Contracted Research: Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Genentech, MEI Pharma Inc, Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company, Surface Oncology, TG Therapeutics Inc, Verastem Inc.

Jonathan W Friedberg, MD, MMSc
Samuel E Durand Professor of Medicine
Director, James P Wilmot Cancer Institute
University of Rochester
Rochester, New York

Advisory Committee: Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals; Data and Safety Monitoring Committee: Astellas Pharma Global Development Inc.

Prof John G Gribben, MD, DSc, FMedSci
Chair of Medical Oncology
Barts Cancer Institute
Queen Mary University of London
Charterhouse Square
London, United Kingdom

Advisory Committee: AbbVie Inc, Acerta Pharma — A member of the AstraZeneca Group, Celgene Corporation, Gilead Sciences Inc, Janssen Biotech Inc, Kite Pharma Inc, Novartis, Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company, Roche Laboratories Inc, TG Therapeutics Inc; Consulting Agreements: Celgene Corporation, TG Therapeutics Inc; Contracted Research: Acerta Pharma — A member of the AstraZeneca Group, Janssen Biotech Inc, Roche Laboratories Inc, TG Therapeutics Inc; Speakers Bureau: AbbVie Inc, Gilead Sciences Inc, Janssen Biotech Inc, Kite Pharma Inc, Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company, Roche Laboratories Inc.

Thomas J Kipps, MD, PhD
Distinguished Professor of Medicine
UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center
La Jolla, California

Advisory Committee: AbbVie Inc, Gilead Sciences Inc, Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company; Consulting Agreements: AbbVie Inc, Celgene Corporation, Genentech, Gilead Sciences Inc, Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company, Roche Laboratories Inc; Contracted Research: AbbVie Inc, Genentech, Oncternal Therapeutics, Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company, Roche Laboratories Inc.

MODERATOR — Dr Love is president and CEO of Research To Practice. Research To Practice receives funds in the form of educational grants to develop CME/CNE activities from the following commercial interests: AbbVie Inc, Acerta Pharma — A member of the AstraZeneca Group, Adaptive Biotechnologies, Agendia Inc, Agios Pharmaceuticals Inc, Amgen Inc, Ariad Pharmaceuticals Inc, Array BioPharma Inc, Astellas Pharma Global Development Inc, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, Baxalta Inc, Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Biodesix Inc, bioTheranostics Inc, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc, Boston Biomedical Pharma Inc, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Celgene Corporation, Clovis Oncology, CTI BioPharma Corp, Dendreon Pharmaceuticals Inc, Eisai Inc, Exelixis Inc, Foundation Medicine, Genentech, Genomic Health Inc, Gilead Sciences Inc, Guardant Health, Halozyme Inc, ImmunoGen Inc, Incyte Corporation, Infinity Pharmaceuticals Inc, Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals Inc, Janssen Biotech Inc, administered by Janssen Scientific Affairs LLC, Jazz Pharmaceuticals Inc, Kite Pharma Inc, Lexicon Pharmaceuticals Inc, Lilly, Medivation Inc, a Pfizer Company, Merck, Merrimack Pharmaceuticals Inc, Myriad Genetic Laboratories Inc, NanoString Technologies, Natera Inc, Novartis, Novocure, Onyx Pharmaceuticals, an Amgen subsidiary, Pfizer Inc, Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company, Prometheus Laboratories Inc, Puma Biotechnology Inc, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, Sandoz Inc, a Novartis Division, Sanofi Genzyme, Seattle Genetics, Sigma-Tau Pharmaceuticals Inc, Sirtex Medical Ltd, Spectrum Pharmaceuticals Inc, Taiho Oncology Inc, Takeda Oncology, Tesaro Inc, Teva Oncology and Tokai Pharmaceuticals Inc.

RESEARCH TO PRACTICE CME/CNE PLANNING COMMITTEE MEMBERS, STAFF AND REVIEWERS — Planners, scientific staff and independent reviewers for Research To Practice have no relevant conflicts of interest to disclose.

This educational activity contains discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the Food and Drug Administration. Research To Practice and the UNMC CCE do not recommend the use of any agent outside of the labeled indications. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications and warnings. The opinions expressed are those of the presenters and are not to be construed as those of the publisher or grantors.

This activity is supported by educational grants from AbbVie Inc, Acerta Pharma — A member of the AstraZeneca Group and Genentech.

Hardware/Software Requirements:
A high-speed Internet connection
A monitor set to 1280 x 1024 pixels or more
Internet Explorer 11 or later, Firefox 56 or later, Chrome 61 or later, Safari 11 or later, Opera 48 or later
Adobe Flash Player 27 plug-in or later
Adobe Acrobat Reader
(Optional) Sound card and speakers for audio

Last review date: August 2018
Expiration date: August 2019