New strategy aims to shield patients from dangerous treatment side effect

This early-stage study is testing a new order for giving approved drugs to patients whose chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) has returned or stopped responding to treatment. The goal is to see if giving two drugs (rituximab and methylprednisolone) first can shrink the cancer enough to make starting the main drug, venetoclax, safer by reducing the risk of a serious side effect called tumor lysis syndrome. The study will enroll a small group of patients to see if this approach is feasible and effective.