The development of marked elevation in white blood cell count does not predict inferior outcome in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

The prognostic value of clinical and laboratory parameters in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia

PURPOSE

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is heterogeneous in its clinical course. The aim of the present study was to identify some clinical and laboratory parameters with prognostic value in relation to survival of patients with CLL.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

One hundred thirty one patients with CLL, treated in the Clinic of Hematology, Plovdiv, between 1992 and 2003 were studied. The patients' survival was analyzed by using the Kaplan-Meier method. Log-rank test was used to compare cumulative survival functions between different groups of patients. The parameters studied were: age, sex, Rai clinical stage, ECOG Performance status (PS), FAB morphological type, mediastinal lymphadenopathy, abdominal nodal mass, extranodal localization, absolute lymphocyte count, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, and response to therapy.

RESULTS

The mean survival of patients was 76 months (95% Confidence Interval, 64-87). The following factors were found to carry significant prognostic value in relation to survival: Rai clinical stage, ECOG PS, mediastinal lymphadenopathy, extranodal localization, FAB morphological type and response to initial standard treatment.

CONCLUSION

The prognostic factors identified in the present study can be easily applied in the clinical practice and may be used as a basis for creating mathematical prognostic models.