title: Long-term molecular remission with lenalidomide treatment of relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
abstract: Lenalidomide is effective against relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). We report the first case of long-term molecular remission with continuous lenalidomide treatment in a young patient with CLL relapsed to multiple treatments. Minimal residual disease was assessed by nested polymerase chain reaction on bone marrow samples with patient-specific primers. A 20-yr-old patient with standard-risk CLL was treated with lenalidomide after multiple relapses and achieved a 4 yr long complete molecular response with minimal toxicities. Published biologic data support that lenalidomide induces an immune-mediated control of CLL, and our case suggests that long-term treatment with lenalidomide is effective at a molecular level in patients with relapsed CLL.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology-Bone Marrow Transplatation, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy. francesco.spina@istitutotumori.mi.it
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Spina
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rezzonico
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Farina
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Corradini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D022801:Complementarity Determining Regions / Q000235:genetics; D015326:Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte, Heavy Chain / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077269:Lenalidomide; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D012008:Recurrence; D012074:Remission Induction; D013792:Thalidomide / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D022801:Complementarity Determining Regions; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D013792:Thalidomide; D000077269:Lenalidomide