Personalized medicine in CLL: Current status and future perspectives

Highlights • While CLL is still considered an incurable disease, the clinical course is extremely variable. Therefore, an individualized approach is needed. • Cytogenetic studies including FISH provide valuable prognostic information and are recommended in all newly diagnosed CLL patients. • The presence of somatic mutations in IGHV, expression of ZAP-70 or CD38, and serum levels of β2M, or thymidine kinase are also of prognostic value. • Several tyrosine kinase inhibitors currently being investigated in CLL induce responses in patients with chemotherapy-refractory disease. • In the future, integrated clinical and genetic information will guide personalized, curative therapy.