The very first meeting of what would become the International Workshop on Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (iwCLL) was organised in 1979 by our founder, Jacques Louis Binet [link to JLB obituary]. This marked the start of a new era in the worldwide approach to CLL.
An uninteresting disease?
As recently as fifty years ago, there was a general lack of interest in CLL, due mainly to it being considered an unfathomable, difficult, disease, frustrating to treat and with unpredictable outcomes.
At the time, research interest in CLL was limited, primarily due to the lack of distinction between T-cell and B-cell lymphocyte origins. However, the eminent clinician-scientists, Galton and Dameshek, hypothesized that CLL lymphocytes lived longer than other lymphocytes and, therefore, that CLL is an accumulative (rather than proliferative) disease.
Binet’s treatment breakthrough
Binet introduced a new clinical staging system for CLL in 1977. building on Rai’s earlier work. Physicians found these systems practical and useful for guiding treatment decisions, making CLL more engaging to study and manage. Suddenly, it became an interesting disease and scientists and clinicians began exploring CLL pathophysiology and ways to improve patient outcomes.
A new era for CLL
The pivotal moment in CLL research came in 1979 when Dr. Binet convened twelve leading physicians from across Europe and the US, for a meeting in Paris to share their expertise and experiences in chronic lymphocytic leukemia care. This inaugural gathering laid the groundwork for what would become the International Workshop on Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (iwCLL).
Dr. Binet envisaged the meeting as an open, collaborative forum for advancing CLL understanding and management. The founding group – Jacques-Louis Binet, David Galton, Eugene P. Cronkite, Kanti R. Rai, Daniel Catovsky, Emili Montserrat, Guillaume Dighiero, Arthur Sawitsky, Mogens Hansen, Pradeep Chandra, Gunnar Juliusson, and Tin Han – established a tradition of collegial exchange and scientific rigor that continues to drive our organisation today.
iwCLL: a driving light for CLL research.
After the success of that first meeting, more investigators in immunology, molecular biology and targeted therapies joined iwCLL and took leadership roles. Since the first meeting of 12, iwCLL has met 23 times, with attendees increasing each time, to nearly 2,000 in Boston in 2023. iwCLL meetings have evolved from informal gatherings into structured scientific congresses, reflecting the rapid advancements in genetics and molecular biology related to CLL.
Despite the shift towards formal agendas and larger audiences, the core values of iwCLL remain unchanged. The organisation values scientific debate, encouraging respectful disagreement and spirited discussion. Attendees are invited to share ideas – whether polished or still in development – and to take pride in collaboration.
The spirit of iwCLL thrives in connections and the shared pursuit of progress to understand and treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The strength of iwCLL comes from its many members and their collective dedication to advancing care and, ultimately, to finding a cure for CLL.
[Links]
CLL Digital Archive
Our CLL Digital Archive chronicles the history, evolution and scientific and medical advancements in chronic lymphocytic leukemia research
Governance and executive
Read more about the current leadership team of iwCLL