Do you use absolute WBC count or doubling time to determine whether to start treatment for early stage CLL?
Would this affect your decision regardless of the stage and symptoms?
Answer from: Medical Oncologist at Academic Institution
In my view, the pace of disease is a more relevant indicator of the need for treatment than any absolute WBC count. Observations over time usually make it clear when treatment is needed. Several studies have shown that early intervention is not associated with improved survival, though i...
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Answer from: Medical Oncologist at Academic Institution
There is no absolute WBC count that would meet criteria to start treatment for early stage CLL. While a doubling time of lymphocytes is included in the iwCLL criteria for treatment, a doubling time of the WBC is not. The full iwCLL criteria can be found here.In practice, the lymphocyte doubling time...