CLLEAR

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is the most common form of leukaemia found in adults in Western countries. There are about 120,000 patients with CLL in Europe and in the US, mostly aged over 50.

This monoclonal disorder is characterised by a progressive accumulation of functionally incompetent lymphocytes in the bone marrow, blood, lymphatic tissue, and other organs. Lymphocytes in the blood include B cells and T cells. B cells are affected in most cases (95%) of CLL.

Mutated B cells live longer than normal healthy B cells. The accumulation of immature cells in the bone marrow obstructs the formation of healthy cells, and can eventually lead to death.

In general, different types of leukaemia are categorised as either acute or chronic. Unlike acute forms of leukaemia, chronic forms are often characterised by the absence of symptoms in the long term. The onset is insidious, and it is not unusual for CLL to be discovered incidentally after a blood cell count is performed for another reason. Sometimes, the disorder can be identified based on vague symptoms such as fatigue, raised temperature, sudden weight loss, night sweats, unusually frequent common cold or infections, enlarged lymph nodes, liver, or spleen.

The CLLEAR project belongs to a group of projects solved in cooperation between the Institute of Biostatistics and Analyses and the CELL group. IBA MU provides the technical solution of the registry and data analysis.

Primary objectives of the project:

• collection of epidemiological and clinical data on patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia,
• evaluation of treatment outcomes,
• contributing to a better awareness of achieved treatment outcomes.

Other important information:

• Expert guarantor: Prof. Michael Doubek, M.D., Ph.D., Petra Obrtlíková, M.D., Prof. Marek Trněný, M.D., Ph.D.
• Partners: large haemato-oncological centres in the Czech Republic