Bendamustine and rituximab combination in the management of chronic lymphocytic leukemia‐associated autoimmune hemolytic anemia: A multicentric retrospective study of the French CLL intergroup (GCFLLC/MW and GOELAMS)

We report our experience on bendamustine and rituximab (BR) combination in 26 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) complicated by autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA). At the time of BR initiation, 88% of the patients had already been treated for AIHA and CLL was progressive regardless of AIHA in all patients but one. Overall response rates were 81% for AIHA and 77% for CLL. Median time to next treatment was 28.3 months and 26.2 months for AIHA and CLL, respectively. BR therapy may represent a good and safe therapeutic option in this setting where adequate control of CLL seems important for long‐term AIHA response. Am. J. Hematol. 90:204–207, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[1]  Jeffrey A Jones,et al.  Incidence of Autoimmune Cytopenias (AIC) in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma (CLL/SLL) Patients (pts) Treated with Ibrutinib , 2014 .

[2]  F. Mohammad,et al.  Bendamustine-induced immune hemolytic anemia in a chronic lymphocytic leukemia patient: A case report and review of the literature. , 2014, Hematology/oncology and stem cell therapy.

[3]  A. Gural,et al.  Short communication: bendamustine-related hemolytic anemia in chronic lymphocytic leukemia , 2013, Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacology.

[4]  A. Neri,et al.  Autoimmune cytopenias in chronic lymphocytic leukemia , 2014, American journal of hematology.

[5]  H. Döhner,et al.  Bendamustine in combination with rituximab for previously untreated patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia: a multicenter phase II trial of the German Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Study Group. , 2012, Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

[6]  H. Döhner,et al.  Bendamustine combined with rituximab in patients with relapsed and/or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia: a multicenter phase II trial of the German Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Study Group. , 2011, Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

[7]  L. Ysebaert,et al.  Rituximab–cyclophosphamide–dexamethasone combination in management of autoimmune cytopenias associated with chronic lymphocytic leukemia , 2011, Leukemia & lymphoma.

[8]  E. Montserrat,et al.  Chronic lymphocytic leukemia and autoimmunity: a systematic review , 2011, Haematologica.

[9]  E. Montserrat,et al.  Autoimmune cytopenia in chronic lymphocytic leukemia: prevalence, clinical associations, and prognostic significance. , 2010, Blood.

[10]  J. Gribben.  How I treat CLL up front. , 2010, Blood.

[11]  S. Remick,et al.  Bendamustine-Associated Hemolytic Anemia , 2009, The Annals of pharmacotherapy.

[12]  L. Tremmel,et al.  Phase III randomized study of bendamustine compared with chlorambucil in previously untreated patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. , 2009, Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

[13]  K. Rai,et al.  A combination of rituximab, cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone effectively treats immune cytopenias of chronic lymphocytic leukemia , 2009, Leukemia & lymphoma.

[14]  O. Wagner,et al.  Autoimmune conditions and chronic infections in chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients at diagnosis are associated with unmutated IgVH genes , 2008, Haematologica.

[15]  Michael Hallek,et al.  Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia: a report from the International Workshop on Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia updating the National Cancer Institute-Working Group 1996 guidelines. , 2008, Blood.

[16]  Deborah A. Bowen,et al.  The prognostic significance of cytopenia in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma , 2008, British journal of haematology.

[17]  A. Tosetto,et al.  Un-mutated IgVH in chronic lymphocytic leukemia is associated with a higher risk of immune thrombocytopenia , 2007, Leukemia.

[18]  H. Kantarjian,et al.  Immune anaemias in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia treated with fludarabine, cyclophosphamide and rituximab – incidence and predictors , 2007, British journal of haematology.

[19]  R. Barker,et al.  Rh autoantigen presentation to helper T cells in chronic lymphocytic leukemia by malignant B cells. , 2005, Blood.