Bkoffman

LATEST ARTICLES ( 357 )

• Remembering Jacques-Louis Binet (1932–2024): A CLL Pioneer

  Until recently researching CLL was a dead end in a hematologist’s career, but Dr. Binet and Dr. Kanti Rai changed that with their staging of CLL. Read more

  Posted on 21 August 2025 COMMUNITY, HEALTH

• My CLL Hangs on by a Thread: Stopping Epcoritamab

  As I said before, August 2025 marks two full years that I’ve enjoyed the benefits from my trial of epcoritamab, a bispecific T -cell engaging monoclonal antibod... Read more

  Posted on 09 August 2025 COMMUNITY, HEALTH

• My CLL Immunity is Impaired in Both My B and T Cells

  By August 2025, I’ll be two years on epcoritamab, effective against my CLL but also suppressing my normal T and B cells and increasing my infection risk. Read more

  Posted on 20 July 2025 COMMUNITY, HEALTH

• Doing Great Two Years on CLL Epcoritamab Trial: Time to Stop?

  August 2025 marks two years on the epcoritamab trial for my CLL. Since Feb 2024, blood tests show zero to one cancer cell per million white blood cells. Read more

  Posted on 30 June 2025 COMMUNITY, HEALTH

• Mike Peters of the Alarm Dies from CLL and Richter’s“The ...

  

  Mike Peters of the Alarm Dies from CLL and Richter’s“The fight against cancer is the same as standing up to injustice… it’s about not backing down.” Mike... Read more

  Posted on 06 May 2025 COMMUNITY, HEALTH

• A Matching-Adjusted Indirect Comparison of Acalabrutinib Vs. Zanubrutinib in...

  The Bottom Line:Acalabrutinib and zanubrutinib have similar excellent efficacy in relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Read more

  Posted on 31 July 2024 COMMUNITY, HEALTH

• My Personal Decision to Restart My CLL (chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia) Treatment

  I have good reasons to believe it is time to re-treat my CLL.Before deciding on the best therapy choice to treat my CLL/SLL (chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small... Read more

  Posted on 22 August 2023 COMMUNITY, HEALTH

• ASH 2022: Adverse Events from BTK Inhibitors in Clinical Trials

  

  Bottom Line:This meta-analysis or combination of 61 trials demonstrated that atrial fibrillation, hypertension, and diarrhea were more common with ibrutinib, an... Read more

  Posted on 21 July 2023 COMMUNITY, HEALTH

• Dr. Stephan Stilgenbauer on the Evolution of CLL to Richter’s Syndrome from ASH...

  

  Medically reviewed and interview by Dr. Brian Koffman.The Bottom Line:This new research identifies some of the genetic changes that drive the evolution of CLL t... Read more

  Posted on 21 July 2023 COMMUNITY, HEALTH

• ASH 2021: Dr. Jeff Sharman on Zanubrutinib for BTK Inhibitor-Intolerant...

  

  At the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2021 Annual Conference and Exhibition, I interviewed Dr. Jeff Sharman, a hematologist/oncologist at Willamette Valle... Read more

  Posted on 12 August 2022 COMMUNITY, HEALTH

• ASH 2020: Dr. Anthony Mato on LOXO-305 A Next Generation Highly Selective...

  

  In an oral presentation during ASH 2020, Dr. Anthony Mato discussed LOXO-305, a new generation BTKi (Bruton Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor) that blocks a key step... Read more

  Posted on 14 August 2021 COMMUNITY, HEALTH

• ASH 2020: Dr. Arnon Nagler on Safety and Efficacy of CD19-CAR T Cells in...

  

  At the virtual ASH 2020 Annual Conference and Exposition, Dr. John Pagel of Swedish Hospital and one of CLL Society’s directors interviewed Dr. Read more

  Posted on 12 August 2021 COMMUNITY, HEALTH

• EHA 2021: Dr. Anthony Mato on Pirtobrutinib (LOXO-305) for Richter’s...

  

  Richter’s transformation (a.k.a. Richter’s syndrome) is a rare complication of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) where the cancer cells transform into a much... Read more

  Posted on 12 August 2021 COMMUNITY, HEALTH

• ASH 2020: Dr. Peter Hillmen on the CLARITY Trial of Ibrutinib Plus Venetoclax fo...

  

  The Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor ibrutinib and BCL2 inhibitor venetoclax have been very successful as individual therapies for treating chronic... Read more

  Posted on 12 August 2021 COMMUNITY, HEALTH

• Dr. John Byrd’s Exciting Move to the University of Cincinnati: The Significance...

  I have known Dr. John Byrd since we met at ASH in 2011 and he has been my chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) doctor most of that time. Read more

  Posted on 08 April 2021 COMMUNITY, HEALTH

• The Passing of a CLL Pioneer and Hero: Joe Greenblatt

  

  Sad news. My long time CLL buddy and a founding member of the CLL Society Patient Advisory Board, Joe Greenblatt sailed away on January 23, 2021 after a long... Read more

  Posted on 25 January 2021 COMMUNITY, HEALTH

• ASH 2019: Dr. Jennifer Brown on Using Ibrutinib After Progressing on Venetoclax...

  

  There has been much discussion, but little data on what is the best order of medications to treat CLL and whether combining drugs is better than sequencing... Read more

  Posted on 07 August 2020 COMMUNITY, HEALTH

• ASH 2018: Dr. Neil Kay on How Stromal Cells Keep CLL (chronic Lymphocytic...

  

  At ASH 2018 in San Diego, CA, I interviewed Dr. Neil Kay out of Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, an innovative chronic lymphocytic leukemia researcher who besides... Read more

  Posted on 04 August 2019 COMMUNITY, HEALTH

• So Tired

  .I have been tired and sleepy for weeks now. Which is weird as my CLL is in a deep deep deep remission.I first blamed it on stress- have a googol of problems... Read more

  Posted on 14 July 2019 COMMUNITY, HEALTH

• May 15, 2019: FDA Approved Venetoclax in Combination with Obinutuzumab for the...

  

  This is very big news.This is the first non-chemotherapy based fixed duration treatment for CLL in treatment naïve patients.Until this approval, the only... Read more

  Posted on 23 May 2019 COMMUNITY, HEALTH