Successful long-term monotherapy with rituximab in a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia of the B-cell-lineage: a case report

INTRODUCTION: Treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia of the B-cell-lineage is strongly based upon clinical staging because of the heterogeneous clinical course of this disease. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe a 62-year-old patient with newly diagnosed chronic lymphocytic leukemia of the B-cell-lineage who did not respond to several chemotherapy regimens including chlorambucil, fludarabine and cyclophosphamide, developing a marked neutropenia and thrombocytopenia with life-threatening infections. Further chemotherapy appeared not feasible because of bone marrow toxicity. The patient was treated with 600 mg/m(2 )rituximab weekly followed by eight courses of biweekly therapy and then by long-term maintenance therapy, achieving almost complete remission of the symptoms and disease control. CONCLUSION: After resistance to standard chemotherapy with chlorambucil and fludarabine, a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia of the B-cell-lineage was successfully treated with rituximab.