Outcome differences in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) may be due to unequal access to care and management, and not disease biology, according to a study involving more than 4,200 individuals. White and non-white patients had comparable outcomes when they underwent similar treatments.

Investigators analyzed clinical and disease characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes in non-white (n=101) and white (n=4,114) patients with CLL. Specifically, they looked at overall survival and time-to-first-treatment. Among the results:

• The non-white group had a median age of ~59, vs ~63 in whites.

• 28% of non-whites had elevated LDH, vs 16% of whites.

• There were no differences in prognostic parameters or in treatment choice.

• Overall survival and time-to-first-treatment were also similar.