Diagnosis and treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia: recommendations from the Brazilian Group of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

ABSTRACT Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is characterized by clonal proliferation and progressive accumulation of B-cell lymphocytes that typically express CD19+, CD5+ and CD23+. The lymphocytes usually infiltrate the bone marrow, peripheral blood, lymph nodes, and spleen. The diagnosis is established by immunophenotyping circulating B-lymphocytes, and prognosis is defined by two staging systems (Rai and Binet) established by physical examination and blood counts, as well as by several biological and genetic markers. In this update, we present the recommendations from the Brazilian Group of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia for the diagnosis and treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The following recommendations are based on an extensive literature review with the aim of contributing to more uniform patient care in Brazil and possibly in other countries with a similar social-economic profile.

Comparação de Custo da enoxaparina e dos novos anticoagulantes orais dabigatran e rivaroxaban na profilaxia do tromboembolismo venoso / Cost comparison between enoxaparin and new oral anticoagulants dabigatran and rivaroxaban in venous thromboembolism prophylaxis

Venous thromboembolism, an important complication that is easily prevented during surgery, is among the few clinicai entities wherein the use of prophylaxis has been found to be effective, such as in the case of antibiotic prophylaxis for the prevention of surgical site infections. The objectives of prophylaxis are to reduce the incidence of deep vein thrombosis, minimize the risk of long-term complications such as chronic venous insufficiency and pulmonary hypertension, and prevent death caused by pulmonary embolism. In this study, we aimed to provide current information to plastic surgeons on the therapeutic options for prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism as well as to compare treatment costs of the drugs enoxaparin, dabigatran, and rivaroxaban. Method: For comparison, the prophylaxis regimen was started 6 hours after the surgery and continued for 10 days. The end user price was obtained from an internet search that included leading pharmacy chains. Results: The patient costs of the new oral anticoagulants dabigatran and rivaroxaban were lower than that of enoxaparin. Conclusions: The cost of venous thromboembolism prophylaxis consisting of the new oral anticoagulants dabigatran and rivaroxaban is lower than that of low molecular weight heparin.

O tromboembolismo venoso é uma complicação importante altamente evitável em cirurgia, sendo uma das poucas entidades clínica em medicina passíveis de profilaxia comprovadamente eficiente, assim como ocorre na profilaxia antibiótica da infecções cirúrgicas. A profilaxia tem por objetivo diminuir a incidência de trombose venosa profunda minimizar os riscos das complicações a longo prazo da insuficiência venosa crônica e hipertensão pulmonar, bem como prevenir a morte consequente de embolia pulmonar. Este estudo tem por objetivo atualizar os cirurgiões plásticos quanto às medicações que podem ser adotadas na profilaxia do tromboembolismo venoso bem como comparar o custo dessas medicações (enoxaparina dabigatran e rivaroxaban). Método: Para efeito de comparação foi adotado um esquema de profilaxia iniciado 6 horas após o fim da cirurgia e mantido por 1O dias. A pequisa foi realizada na internet entre as principais redes farmacêuticas, levando em conta custo para o consumidor. Resultados: Os novos anticoagulantes orais dabigatran e rivaroxaban apresentaram custo menor para o paciente. Conclusões: Os novos anticoagulantes orais dabigatran e rivaroxaban possuem custo menor na profilaxia do tromboembolismo venoso em comparação à heparina de baixo peso molecular.