title: 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.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Hospital Sírio Libanês, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: celsoarrais@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Celso Arrais
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Fleury Medicina e Saúde, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Matheus Vescovi
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.affiliation: Hospital Amaral Carvalho, Jaú, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maura Rosane Valério
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Ikoma
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lorand-Metze
authors.affiliation: Hospital Sírio Libanês, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: André Domingues
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Goiânia, GO, Brazil.
authors.forename: Danielle Leão Cordeiro de
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Farias
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Fleury Medicina e Saúde, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria de Lourdes Lopes Ferrari
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Chauffaille
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rony
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schaffel
authors.affiliation: Hospital Santa Lúcia, Brasília, DF, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eduardo Flávio Oliveira
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.affiliation: A.C Camargo Cancer Center, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Talita Silveira da
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.affiliation: Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo (ICESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Buccheri
authors.affiliation: Instituto Goiano de Oncologia e Hematologia (INGOH), Goiânia, GO, Brazil.
authors.forename: Yuri
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Vasconcelos
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Assistência Médica ao Servidor Público Estadual (IAMSPE), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vera Lúcia de Piratininga
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Figueiredo
authors.affiliation: Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Hospital Samaritano, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos Sérgio
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Chiattone
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mihoko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
keywords: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia; Cytogenetics; Immunophenotyping; Prognosis; Staging