Prognostic Factors for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.

As novel strategies for treatment and prognostication of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) evolve, the traditional Rai and Binet systems can now be updated with more modern prognostic markers. This is a review of the latest articles which combine studies from major CLL centers to summarize major prognostic factors for patients diagnosed with CLL. The prognostic information can be categorized into three categories: genetic abnormalities which include 17p, 11q, and immunoglobulin heavy chain variable (IGHV) abnormalities; biochemical abnormalities and cell surface markers which include serum thymidine kinase, β-2-microglobulin, CD49d, CD38, and ZAP-70 levels; and patient characteristics which include sex, age, and performance status.