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Abnormal cells
Cells that do not work correctly and can cause illness.
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Active Observation
A method where doctors carefully monitor the patient’s condition without starting treatment immediately, especially if the disease is not causing problems yet. Sometimes called “Active Surveillance” or “Watch and Wait“.
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Adverse Events
Any bad effects or reactions that happen while on treatment.
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Adverse Reactions
Bad reactions or problems that happen because of a treatment, which can be mild or severe.
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Anemia
A condition where there aren’t enough red blood cells in the body, causing tiredness.
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BCL-2
B-cell lymphoma 2, a protein involved in CLL survival and growth.
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B lymphocyte (B cell)
A type of white blood cell that helps the body fight infections.
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Biomarker
A biological sign, like a molecule or change in the body, that helps doctors understand a disease and decide on treatments.
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Biomarker Testing
Tests that identify specific signs in a patient’s blood or tissues to help guide treatment choices for a disease like CLL.
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Biopsy
A test where a doctor takes a small piece of tissue or blood to check if someone is sick.
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Blinded
Where either the patients or the doctors (or both) in a study do not know who is in which treatment group to avoid bias.
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Blood cancer
A disease in which cancer cells grow in the bone marrow and spill into the blood, crowding out normal healthy blood cells.
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Bone marrow
Bone marrow is a soft, spongy material found inside bones that helps to make blood cells.
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BTK
Bruton tyrosine kinase, a protein involved in CLL growth.
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Cancer
A disease where cells in the body grow out of control and can harm the body.
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CAR-T
Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell therapy (“CAR-T”) is a type of treatment that involves modifying a patient’s own immune cells, called T-cells, to help them fight cancer more effectively.
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CD20
B-lymphocyte antigen CD20, a protein on cancer cells that can be targeted for CLL treatment.
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Chemotherapy
A type of treatment that uses strong medicine to kill cancer cells.
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Chromosome
Long strands of genes.
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Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
A type of blood cancer that slowly affects the body’s white blood cells.
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Clinical Trial
A study to test new medicines to see if they work and are safe for people.
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Comparator
A treatment aginst which a new treatment is compared in a clinical trial.
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Complete Response (CR)
When all signs of cancer are gone after treatment.
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Complications
Problems that can happen because of a disease or its treatment.
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Continuous Therapy
A treatment where a person takes medicine every day without stopping for a long time, like taking a pill every day.
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Control Group
A group of people in a study who get regular treatment instead of the new medicine to see how well it works.
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Diagnosis
The process of finding out what disease or condition a person has based on symptoms and tests.
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Duration of Response (DoR)
The length of time that patients stay in a good response (complete response or partial response) after starting treatment.
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Efficacy
How well a treatment works to help people feel better.
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Endpoint
A specific goal or outcome that researchers are trying to measure or achieve during a clinical trial.
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Enlarged spleen
An increase in the size of a body part that can cause feeling full or discomfort.
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Enzyme
A type of protein in the body that helps speed up chemical reactions, often involved in turning food into energy or breaking down harmful substances.
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Fatigue
Extreme tiredness or lack of energy.
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Fixed Duration Therapy
A treatment where a person takes medicine for a set time, like a few months, and then stops. Also called “Time-Limited” therapy.
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Flow cytometry
A laboratory technique used to analyze and measure the characteristics of individual cells in a fluid.
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Guidelines
Recommendations or advice based on research that help doctors decide the best treatment for patients
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Immune System
The part of the body that helps fight off sickness and germs.
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Infections
When germs enter the body and cause illness.
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Informed Consent
A document signed by a participant in a clinical trial that shows they understand what to expect and the
risks involved. -
Infusion
A way of giving medicine directly into the bloodstream using a needle, often through an IV.
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Infusion Reactions
Bad reactions that can happen during or shortly after receiving treatment through an infusion.
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Interventional
A type of study where researchers actively change something in the participants’ treatment or health care to see how
it affects their health.
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Laboratory Abnormalities
Unusual findings in blood tests or other lab tests that can indicate safety concerns with treatment.
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Measurable Residual Disease (MRD)
A small number of cancer cells that may remain in a patient’s body after they have been treated, even when they are
in remission (do not have symptoms)
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Objective Response Rate (ORR)
The percentage of people whose cancer shrinks or improves after receiving a treatment in a clinical trial.
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Observational
When researchers watch and collect information about how people are doing without giving them any special
treatments or changing anything about their care. -
Open Label
A study where everyone knows which treatment the patients are receiving.
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Overall Survival (OS)
The measure of time from the start of treatment until a person dies from any cause.
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Partial Response (PR)
When cancer shrinks but is still present after treatment.
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PI3K
Phosphoinositide 3-kinase, a protein involved in CLL growth.
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Placebo
A fake treatment that looks like the real medicine but has no active ingredients; it’s used to compare against real treatments.
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Prognosis
An estimate about how a disease will change and when or whether a person will get better.
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Progression-Free Survival (PFS)
The measure of how long a patient lives without the disease worsening during and after treatment.
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Protocol
A research plan for a clinical trial.
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Quality of Life
A measure of how well someone is living, including their happiness, daily activities, and health.
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Randomized
When people are put into different groups by chance, like flipping a coin, to ensure fairness in the study.
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Response Rate
The percentage of patients who have a good reaction to a treatment, like getting better or having less disease.
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Risk Factors
Things that may increase the chances of getting a disease, such as age or family history.
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Serious Adverse Events (SAEs)
Severe problems caused by a treatment that can lead to major health issues or hospitalization.
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Standard of Care
The most commonly accepted treatments for a disease that new treatments are compared against in clinical trials.
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Stem Cell Transplant
A procedure where unhealthy blood cells are replaced with healthy stem cells to help the body produce new,
healthy cells. -
Surveillance
Regular check-ups to monitor a patient’s health and see how well a treatment is working.
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Swollen glands
Enlarged parts of the body (like neck or armpits) that can show a problem.
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Symptoms
Signs that show something might be wrong, like pain or feeling tired.
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Time-Limited Therapy
A treatment where a person takes medicine for a set time, like a few months, and then stops. Also called “Fixed
Duration” therapy. -
Time to Progression (TTP)
The time from the start of treatment until the disease starts to worsen again.
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Treatment Discontinuation
Stopping a treatment before it was planned because of side effects or other reasons.
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Treatment Dose Reduction
Lowering how much treatment to take because of side effects or other reasons.
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Treatment Options
Different ways to help someone with a disease, including medications, therapies, or surgeries designed to manage or
cure the illness.
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Watch and Wait
A method where doctors carefully monitor the patient’s condition without starting treatment immediately, especially if
the disease is not causing problems yet. Sometimes called “Active Surveillance” or “Active Observation“. -
White Blood Cells (B Cells)
Cells in the blood that help fight infections and keep you healthy.
