Outcome of treatment among chronic lymphocytic leukemia and its correlation to Rai staging system in Kurdistan region of Iraq

Background: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is common adulthood leukemia with low incidence in Kurdistan region of Iraq. Staging of chronic lymphocytic leukemia is essential in treatment planning and the pattern of response is variable. Aim of study: To evaluate the Rai staging distribution of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia in Kurdistan region/Iraq and its correlation with the treatment outcome. Patients & Methods: A retrospective cross sectional review study conducted in three Hemato/oncology centers in Kurdistan for duration of eleven years through the period from 1 st of January, 2010 to 31 st of December, 2020 on convenient sample of 170chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients. Diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia was done according to the International Workshop on Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. The Rai staging was done by the clinical hematologist in Hemato/oncology center according to clinical evaluation and laboratory investigations. The pattern of the treatment response was determined according to the International Workshop on Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (iwCLL) Results: The Rai staging of our patients was 0 in 15.3% of them, stage I in 12.4%, stage II 30%, stage III 13.5% and stage IV 28.8%. The treatment response of studied sample was complete response (43.5%), partial response (17.6%), stable (14.1%), no response (21.8%) and progressive (2.9%).A highly significant association was observed between no response to treatment and advanced Rai staging and also a highly significant association was observed between death outcome of patients and advanced Rai staging. Conclusions: The treatment response of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia is directly related to Rai staging as patients with advanced Rai staging had lower treatment response rate.