Additional malignancies shorten overall survival in chronic lymphocytic leukemia irrespective of chromosomal aberrations: A retrospective cohort study

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of other malignancies (OMs) in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and to identify parameters associated with the occurrence of OMs in addition to CLL. This retrospective cohort study was conducted by examining the records of CLL patients who applied to a tertiary hospital between January 2013 and December 2021. The cases were divided into 2 groups, CLL (n = 107) and CLL + OM (n = 25), according to the presence of additional malignancy. Lymphocyte count (P = .014), white blood cell count (P = .006), and hemoglobin (P = .034) were significantly higher in the CLL group. Rai stage IV percentage (P = .015), Binet stage B percentage (P = .043), progression, and sepsis percentages (P = .008) were significantly higher in the CLL + OM group. Overall survival time was significantly lower in the CLL + OM group (P = .032). Most OMs had been diagnosed before CLL (63.64%) in the no-treatment group, while the majority of OMs were diagnosed after CLL (78.57%) in the treatment group (P = .032). CLL patients with OM had a more advanced CLL stage, and survival was significantly shorter in these patients. In addition, CLL-associated OM appears to occur more frequently in the post-treatment period.