Comparable outcomes of BTK inhibitors and fixed-duration venetoclax plus rituximab in second-line treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia: a real-world analysis by the Czech CLL study group
Two standard second-line treatments for chronic lymphocytic leukemia work similarly well, though one carries higher infection risk—useful for personalized selection.
This Czech real-world study (n=352) found no significant difference in PFS or OS between BTKi monotherapy and fixed-duration VenR in second-line CLL, the first real-world dataset directly comparing these standard options. BTKi had numerically higher infection-related discontinuations, a clinically useful safety distinction for treatment selection.
What the study was
- Study design
- Retrospective real-world cohort study
- Population
- Relapsed/refractory CLL patients receiving second-line BTKi (n=259) or VenR (n=93) across Czech centers
- Sample size
- 352
- Category
- Treatment Innovation
- Maturity
- Validated
- Journal
- Annals of Hematology
Why it surfaced
First real-world head-to-head comparison of BTKi vs VenR in R/R CLL second-line, with n=352. Clinically useful for treatment selection. Retrospective design limits causal inference.
A plain-language summary of published research — not medical advice. Talk to a clinician about your own care.