Chronic lymphocytic leukemia in the elderly population.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a disease of the elderly with an incidence of about 20 to 30 per 100,000 population in the group aged 70 years or older. Chemotherapy with chlorambucil controls major clinical features of CLL but without prolongation of survival time. Addition of prednisone is necessary when autoimmune complications occur, but its usage in the elderly requires special caution. Fludarabine has better response rates than chlorambucil in treating CLL and has been proved to be an effective salvage therapy in patients previously treated with chlorambucil.