A major UK-wide trial has found that a chemotherapy-free treatment could significantly improve outcomes for people with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) — the most common form of adult leukaemia.
Led by researchers in Leeds and involving 96 cancer centres across the country, the Flair trial tested whether combining two targeted drugs, ibrutinib and venetoclax, would outperform standard chemotherapy.
The results:
- 94% of patients on the combination therapy were alive with no disease progression after five years
- Compared to 79% on ibrutinib alone and 58% on chemotherapy
- 66% had no detectable cancer in their bone marrow after two years
Experts say the combined treatment is not only more effective but also better tolerated, marking a potential shift towards personalised, chemotherapy-free care.