Guidelines for Diagnosis, Indications for Treatment, Response Assessment, and Supportive Management of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: The 2018 Update

The previous edition of the consensus guidelines of the International Workshop on Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (iwCLL), published in 2008, has found broad acceptance by physicians and investigators caring for patients with CLL. It is not the aim of the iwCLL guidelines to provide treatment recommendations, but definitions for the initial assessment, indication for treatment, and response assessment of CLL. Recent advances including the discovery of the genomic landscape of the disease, the development of genetic tests with prognostic relevance, the assessment of minimal residual disease (MRD), and the advent of novel targeted agents with impressive efficacy prompted an international panel to provide updated recommendations. These guidelines were recently published and include a revised version of the iwCLL response criteria, an update on the use of the MRD status in the clinical context, and recommendations regarding the assessment and prophylaxis of viral diseases during the management of CLL.