T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia: Epidemiology and survival trends in the era of novel treatments.

Survival remains poor for T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia, though treatment in recent years, associated with access to novel therapies, and management at academic medical centers is associated with improved outcomes. There remains a critical need to improve the available treatment options for this population, and access to specialized academic medical centers, comprehensive supportive care, clinical trials, and early palliative care remains essential for T-PLL patients.

Leucémie lymphoïde chronique au Niger: une étude de 99 cas au service d'onco-hématologie de l'hôpital national de Niamey

Introduction. Le but de l'étude est de décrire les caractéristiques épidémiologiques et cliniques de la leucémie lymphoïde chronique (LLC) au Niger. C'est la première étude nigérienne spécifiquement consacrée à cette maladie. Méthodologie. Nous avons mené une étude rétrospective couvrant la période de janvier 2000 à décembre 2011 (12 ans) dans le service d'Onco-Hématologie de l'HNN. Le diagnostic de LLC était retenu sur la base d'une hyper lymphocytose sanguine > 15 000/mmᶾ associée à une infiltration médullaire de plus de 40% de lymphocytes mâtures. Les données ont été recueillies dans les dossiers de malades. Nos variables d'étude étaient les aspects épidémiologiques, cliniques et évolutifs de la maladie. Résultats. Au cours de la période d'étude, 99 patients ont été colligés soit une fréquence d'environ huit cas par an. Le sex ratio était de 0,47 et la moyenne d'âge des patients de 53,25 ans (extrêmes: 30 à 82 ans). L'échantillon était constitué de 89 % de paysans (cultivateurs, éleveurs femmes au foyer). La durée moyenne des troubles avant la première consultation était de 24 mois. Les principaux motifs de consultation étaient: la splénomégalie (81,8%), les adénopathies (38,4%) et l'anémie (21,2%). Les principaux signes physiques étaient: les adénopathies (84,8%); la splénomégalie (80,8%); la pâleur cutanéo-muqueuse (31,3%); la fièvre (29,3%) et l'hépatomégalie (25,3%). Selon la classification anatomo-clinique de Binet, 39 patients (39,4%) étaient au stade A, 16 cas (16,2%) au stade B et 44(44,4%) au stade C. Conclusion. À Niamey, la LLC est une maladie de l'adulte jeune diagnostiquée souvent à un stade avancé du fait du retard de la première consultation

T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia: A rare disease in an elderly female.

PURPOSE: To present a case report of an 83-year-old female with underlying dementia and a 1-2 month history of left upper quadrant pain. This report includes a review of the morphology of T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (PLL), diagnosis, and the treatment options considered. DATA SOURCES: T-cell PLL is a rare blood disorder that represents a very small number of all chronic leukemias. An extensive review of scientific literature related to the cell morphology and pathology of this disease, as well as clinical trials of treatment options provided the background for this case report. CONCLUSION: A diagnosis of T-cell PLL was made after a computed tomography scan of the abdomen confirmed splenomegaly and a bone marrow biopsy showed a hypercellular marrow infiltrated with numerous small lymphocytes, consistent with this disease. Currently, there is no optimal treatment for T-cell PLL, but alemtuzumab has shown success with extending survival 1-3 years. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: This case presented several ethical and practical challenges for this patient and her family in making a decision for chemotherapy treatment. This case underscores the need for the physicians and nurse practitioners to establish a collaborative relationship with patient, family, and other care providers when advocating for or against treatment.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is rare, but the proportion of T-CLL is high in Japan.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a rare disease in Japan. Recent advances in molecular biology, diagnostic criteria and classification of CLL have reinforced the concept of each category of CLL as a distinct entity. Since there have been no recent studies on the incidence and prevalence of CLL in Japan, the Kyushu Hematology Organization for Treatment (K-HOT) Study Group conducted two studies of CLL. One study is a prospective registration of newly diagnosed hematological disorders, which gave us some idea of the incidence of CLL in our region (Kyushu island) where adult T-cell leukemia is endemic. A total of 677 patients with hematological disorders were registered over a 6-month period and 11 patients were diagnosed as having CLL among 182 leukemia patients. This amounts to 6% of all leukemias, which is twice as frequent as previously reported in Japan. The other study is a retrospective analysis of CLL. Eleven institutions of the K-HOT Group analysed their diagnostic records of chronic lymphoid leukemia, and 145 patients with CLL were found over a period of 3-12 yr. After the data were reviewed 11 patients were excluded through having a different type of leukemia. The proportion of chronic B-cell lymphoid leukemia was 73% (98/134), while that of T-cell leukemia was 18% (24/134). The proportion of T-cell chronic leukemia was 5-6 times higher than that in Western countries. Two institutions had a complete database on hematological disorders. From this database, the annual incidence of CLL was estimated to be 0.48 per 100 000. Thus, the incidence of CLL in Japan is at least 4-5 times lower than that in Western countries, suggesting that chronic B-cell leukemia is really rare, but chronic leukemia of T-cell lineage develops in Japan as frequently as in Western societies. Further investigation is required to delineate why the incidence of B-CLL is so low in Japan.