Patients Deserve More— Addressing the Unmet Need in CLL

Each of us is often searching for balance – balance between what we’re grateful for and what we’re striving for – whether that’s within our family life, our careers or our health. For people living with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), that may include feeling grateful that they’re able to manage their cancer as a chronic illness, while also striving to live their best possible life.

CLL is typically a slow-growing blood cancer found in a type of white blood cell called a B-lymphocyte—lymphocytes are the predominant cells in lymph tissue. It’s the most common type of leukemia in adults and accounts for about one-quarter of the new cases of leukemia each year. 1 The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be 21,250 new cases and about 4,320 deaths from CLL this year alone.¹

Over the past decade, clinical research and cancer care for CLL has brought about significant progress -- and as a result, patients can live with the disease for many years. But they face challenges; many people living with this form of leukemia report feeling satisfied with their current treatment, but many express concerns should their current treatment stop working.

With the goal of more fully understanding the unmet need in CLL and the urgency for alternative and later-line treatment options, Lilly surveyed hematologist oncologists, nurse practitioners, CLL patients and their caregivers. We learned there is an overarching concern about the limited treatment options and a recognition for more treatment choices and better tolerability in later line therapies.

Download the infographic, Patients Living with CLL Deserve More, here.

The results of the survey revealed that although patients are satisfied with their current treatment, side effects from treatment are impacting their quality of life, highlighting an urgent need for more tolerable treatment options. ​In fact, both patients and caregivers report concern about the lack of treatment choices if the current treatment stops working. More than 75 percent of people living with CLL would like a treatment option with fewer and less severe side effects and are resigned to accept side effects because treatment options are limited. Patients also expressed concerns about the lack of treatment choices should their current medicine stop working, or side effects become worse.

Caregivers are even more concerned about the lack of treatment options available should their loved one’s current medicine stop working, with 77 percent reporting that they feel CLL treatment options are limited. The majority of caregivers surveyed want a treatment option for CLL with fewer and less severe side effects but accept the side effects due to limited treatment options.

At Lilly, we unite caring with discovery to create medicines that make life better for people. With greater insight into the unmet needs of people living with CLL, we can work together to raise awareness and bring more treatment options that give patients hope.

That’s why we’re starting a conversation that could change the expectation of wellness for people living with blood cancer. We’re sharing our survey results in hopes of raising awareness for the unmet need in CLL and helping those living with the disease live their lives more confidently, now and in the future.

Reference

¹American Cancer Society. Key statistics for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. Available at: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/chronic-lymphocytic-leukemia/about/key-statistics.html.