Precision Medicine in Lymphoid Malignancies

With the introduction of high-throughput sequencing technologies, the molecular landscape of major lymphoid malignancies was rapidly unraveled. While a few lymphoid neoplasms were characterized by a predominant gene mutation (e.g. Waldenström's macroglobulinemia and hairy cell leukemia), the majority demonstrated a highly diverse genomic landscape with a high number of recurrent mutations. These studies have not only furthered our understanding of the onset and evolution of lymphoid malignances, but also provided us with new biomarkers that can improve diagnostics, prognostication as well as guide clinical decision-making in lymphoid malignancies. In this lecture, I will highlight clinically relevant diagnostic, prognostic and predictive biomarkers that are used today in clinical diagnostics of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), one of the most frequent lymphoid malignancies, also as a basis for treatment decisions on novel targeted therapies. I will also highlight future directions in this rapidly evolving field.