Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: Navigating Uncertainty

As pandemic restrictions begin to loosen in many communities across the country, patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) face greater uncertainty in this “new normal” due to their increased risk for contracting COVID-19 and a lower response rate to the vaccine.

On this episode, three clinicians discuss their experiences with difficult conversations on the relative risks and benefits around treatment decisions, engaging the entire cancer team in shared decision-making with patients, accessing emerging evidence and data in this rapidly evolving environment, and the potential impact of variant exposure on this unique patient population.

Guests:

John N. Allan, MD

Assistant Professor of Medicine

Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology

Weill Cornell Medicine

New York, NY

Mark J. Fesler, MD

Director, Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Associate Professor of Internal Medicine

Division of Hematology and Oncology

Saint Louis University

St. Louis, MO

Susannah P. Friemel, MD 

Owner/President

Iowa Cancer Specialists, PC

Davenport, IA