It is feasible and safe to stop specialized follow-up of asymptomatic lower-risk chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Abstract

Abstract Approximately half of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) will never require treatment; nonetheless, they are recommended life-long specialized follow-up (sFU). To prioritize health care resources, local hospital management implemented ending sFU in asymptomatic patients with CLL International Prognostic Index (CLL-IPI) and CLL without need of treatment (CLL-WONT) low-to-intermediate risk, who were covered by universal health care. To evaluate the feasibility and safety of ending sFU, we investigated 3-year clinical outcomes among 112 patients selected by clinical assessment to end sFU as compared with 88 patients selected to continue sFU. Patients who ended sFU were older, but otherwise lower risk compared with patients continuing sFU. Overall survival (OS) was similar in patients ending and continuing sFU (3-year OS, 87% and 80%, respectively; P = .16). Hospital visits per patient-year were lower (median 0.7 vs 4.3, P < .0001) and time to first infection was longer (P = .035) in patients ending sFU compared with those who continued sFU, including shorter in-hospital antimicrobial treatment (median 4 vs 12 days, respectively; P = .026). Finally, 1 in 6 patients were rereferred, including 4 patients meeting international workshop on CLL criteria for need of treatment. This also resulted in a lower 3-year first treatment rate for patients ending sFU compared with patients continuing sFU (4% vs 23%, respectively; P < .0001). In conclusion, it is feasible and safe to end sFU for patients with CLL who have low-to-intermediate risk CLL-IPI and CLL-WONT scores upon thorough clinical evaluation before ending sFU.