WATCH & WAIT FOR CLL/SLL

A GREAT FIRST STEP

Use this guide to help you talk to your doctor and understand your condition. You can also sign up for support program emails and mailers by using the form below.

“Leukemia is a scary word, but it needn't be.” –Emil, living with CLL

Emil Patient Living With CLLEmil Patient Living With CLL

WATCH & WAIT 101

People diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who have no symptoms and minor changes in their blood counts are usually managed with something called the Watch & Wait approach. Your doctor may also call this "active surveillance" or "watchful waiting." Your care team will provide regular medical checkups and blood tests to determine whether the cancer is remaining stable or if it is starting to progress. Your doctor will help decide if and when starting treatment is best for you.

Be assured that this approach is the standard of care for people whose CLL is not progressing quickly, is not widespread, and who have no signs and/or symptoms.

  • To date, no benefits of early treatment for people with low-risk CLL have been shown.
  • There are risks of early treatment, including potential side effects and treatment complications.
  • Patients may build up a resistance to the drugs — so starting treatment early may not be the most effective path.

Some people with CLL can be managed with the Watch & Wait approach for years before the disease progresses.

15-20% of CLL patients never need treatment.

During the Watch & Wait period, it’s important to continue scheduling doctor’s appointments regularly — and to keep an eye out for any changes in your health. Your doctor may advise you to begin treatment if you have:

  • Lymph nodes that are getting larger
  • Newly affected lymph nodes
  • Bones or other organs that have become affected by cancer
  • A low blood cell count
  • A relatively rapid increase in the number of lymphocytes in the blood
  • A spleen that’s increasing in size
  • Worsening anemia
  • Pain

When and if you and your doctor decide it’s time for treatment, learn more about CALQUENCE here.

It’s easy to forget everything that’s covered during a doctor’s appointment, so it’s often helpful to have a caregiver, family member, or friend accompany you during checkups to take notes and provide emotional support.

Remember that it’s important to continue scheduling doctor’s appointments regularly. Above you’ll find a discussion guide with helpful tips on how to talk to your doctor and what to ask.

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Important Safety Information About CALQUENCE® (acalabrutinib)bottom to top button

Before taking CALQUENCE, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

  • have had recent surgery or plan to have surgery. Your healthcare provider may stop CALQUENCE for any planned medical, surgical, or dental procedure.
  • have bleeding problems.
  • have or had heart rhythm problems.
  • have an infection.
  • have or had liver problems, including hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.
  • are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. CALQUENCE may harm your unborn baby and cause problems during childbirth (dystocia).
    • If you are able to become pregnant, your healthcare provider may do a pregnancy test before you start treatment with CALQUENCE
    • Females who are able to become pregnant should use effective birth control (contraception) during treatment with CALQUENCE and for 1 week after the last dose of CALQUENCE
  • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if CALQUENCE passes into your breast milk. Do not breastfeed during treatment with CALQUENCE and for 2 weeks after your last dose of CALQUENCE.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the­-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Taking CALQUENCE with certain other medications may affect how CALQUENCE works and can cause side effects. Especially tell your healthcare provider if you take a blood thinner medicine.

How should I take CALQUENCE?

  • Take CALQUENCE exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to take it.
  • Do not change your dose or stop taking CALQUENCE unless your healthcare provider tells you to.
  • Your healthcare provider may tell you to decrease your dose, temporarily stop, or completely stop taking CALQUENCE if you develop certain side effects.
  • Take CALQUENCE 2 times a day (about 12 hours apart).
  • Take CALQUENCE with or without food.
  • Swallow CALQUENCE tablets whole with a glass of water. Do not chew, crush, dissolve, or cut tablets.
  • If you miss a dose of CALQUENCE, take it as soon as you remember. If it is more than 3 hours past your usual dosing time, skip the missed dose and take your next dose of CALQUENCE at your regularly scheduled time. Do not take an extra dose to make up for a missed dose.

What are the possible side effects of CALQUENCE?

CALQUENCE may cause serious side effects, including:

  • Serious infections can happen during treatment with CALQUENCE and may lead to death. Your healthcare provider may prescribe certain medicines if you have an increased risk of getting infections. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any signs or symptoms of an infection, including fever, chills, or flu-like symptoms.
  • Bleeding problems (hemorrhage) can happen during treatment with CALQUENCE and can be serious and may lead to death. Your risk of bleeding may increase if you are also taking a blood thinner medicine. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any signs or symptoms of bleeding, including blood in your stools or black stools (looks like tar), pink or brown urine, unexpected bleeding or bleeding that is severe or you cannot control, vomit blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds, cough up blood or blood clots, dizziness, weakness, confusion, changes in your speech, headache that lasts a long time, or bruising or red or purple skin marks.
  • Decrease in blood cell counts. Decreased blood counts (white blood cells, platelets, and red blood cells) are common with CALQUENCE, but can also be severe. Your healthcare provider should do blood tests to check your blood counts regularly during treatment with CALQUENCE.
  • Second primary cancers. New cancers have happened in people during treatment with CALQUENCE, including cancers of the skin or other organs. Your healthcare provider will check you for skin cancers during treatment with CALQUENCE. Use sun protection when you are outside in sunlight.
  • Heart rhythm problems (cardiac arrhythmias) have happened in people treated with CALQUENCE, which may be serious or lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any of the following signs or symptoms: fast or irregular heartbeat, dizziness, feeling faint, chest discomfort, or shortness of breath.
  • Liver problems. Liver problems can happen during treatment with CALQUENCE, which may be severe or life-threatening, or lead to death. Contact your healthcare provider if you experience stomach pain or discomfort, urine of dark color or yellowing of your skin. Your healthcare provider will request tests to monitor your liver function during treatment with CALQUENCE.

The most common side effects of CALQUENCE include headache, diarrhea, muscle and joint pain, upper respiratory tract infection, and bruising.

These are not all the possible side effects of CALQUENCE. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What is CALQUENCE?

CALQUENCE is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL).

It is not known if CALQUENCE is safe and effective in children.

Please see full Prescribing Information, including Patient Information.

You may report side effects related to AstraZeneca products. (Opens in new window)

Important Safety Information About CALQUENCE® (acalabrutinib)bottom to top button

EXPAND COLLAPSE

Before taking CALQUENCE, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

  • have had recent surgery or plan to have surgery. Your healthcare provider may stop CALQUENCE for any planned medical, surgical, or dental procedure.
  • have bleeding problems.
  • have or had heart rhythm problems.
  • have an infection.
  • have or had liver problems, including hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.
  • are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. CALQUENCE may harm your unborn baby and cause problems during childbirth (dystocia).
    • If you are able to become pregnant, your healthcare provider may do a pregnancy test before you start treatment with CALQUENCE
    • Females who are able to become pregnant should use effective birth control (contraception) during treatment with CALQUENCE and for 1 week after the last dose of CALQUENCE
  • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if CALQUENCE passes into your breast milk. Do not breastfeed during treatment with CALQUENCE and for 2 weeks after your last dose of CALQUENCE.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the­-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Taking CALQUENCE with certain other medications may affect how CALQUENCE works and can cause side effects. Especially tell your healthcare provider if you take a blood thinner medicine.

How should I take CALQUENCE?

  • Take CALQUENCE exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to take it.
  • Do not change your dose or stop taking CALQUENCE unless your healthcare provider tells you to.
  • Your healthcare provider may tell you to decrease your dose, temporarily stop, or completely stop taking CALQUENCE if you develop certain side effects.
  • Take CALQUENCE 2 times a day (about 12 hours apart).
  • Take CALQUENCE with or without food.
  • Swallow CALQUENCE tablets whole with a glass of water. Do not chew, crush, dissolve, or cut tablets.
  • If you miss a dose of CALQUENCE, take it as soon as you remember. If it is more than 3 hours past your usual dosing time, skip the missed dose and take your next dose of CALQUENCE at your regularly scheduled time. Do not take an extra dose to make up for a missed dose.

What are the possible side effects of CALQUENCE?

CALQUENCE may cause serious side effects, including:

  • Serious infections can happen during treatment with CALQUENCE and may lead to death. Your healthcare provider may prescribe certain medicines if you have an increased risk of getting infections. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any signs or symptoms of an infection, including fever, chills, or flu-like symptoms.
  • Bleeding problems (hemorrhage) can happen during treatment with CALQUENCE and can be serious and may lead to death. Your risk of bleeding may increase if you are also taking a blood thinner medicine. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any signs or symptoms of bleeding, including blood in your stools or black stools (looks like tar), pink or brown urine, unexpected bleeding or bleeding that is severe or you cannot control, vomit blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds, cough up blood or blood clots, dizziness, weakness, confusion, changes in your speech, headache that lasts a long time, or bruising or red or purple skin marks.
  • Decrease in blood cell counts. Decreased blood counts (white blood cells, platelets, and red blood cells) are common with CALQUENCE, but can also be severe. Your healthcare provider should do blood tests to check your blood counts regularly during treatment with CALQUENCE.
  • Second primary cancers. New cancers have happened in people during treatment with CALQUENCE, including cancers of the skin or other organs. Your healthcare provider will check you for skin cancers during treatment with CALQUENCE. Use sun protection when you are outside in sunlight.
  • Heart rhythm problems (cardiac arrhythmias) have happened in people treated with CALQUENCE, which may be serious or lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any of the following signs or symptoms: fast or irregular heartbeat, dizziness, feeling faint, chest discomfort, or shortness of breath.
  • Liver problems. Liver problems can happen during treatment with CALQUENCE, which may be severe or life-threatening, or lead to death. Contact your healthcare provider if you experience stomach pain or discomfort, urine of dark color or yellowing of your skin. Your healthcare provider will request tests to monitor your liver function during treatment with CALQUENCE.

The most common side effects of CALQUENCE include headache, diarrhea, muscle and joint pain, upper respiratory tract infection, and bruising.

These are not all the possible side effects of CALQUENCE. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What is CALQUENCE?

CALQUENCE is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL).

It is not known if CALQUENCE is safe and effective in children.

Please see full Prescribing Information, including Patient Information.

You may report side effects related to AstraZeneca products. (Opens in new window)

Important Safety Information About CALQUENCE® (acalabrutinib)

 EXPAND

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