A series of 10 CLL cases composed by 4 11q deleted/TP53wt/wt cases, 1 TP53del/mut cases, 2 TP53mut/wt and 3 TP53wt/wt cases was evaluated for the presence of ATM alterations by performing alternative treatments with etoposide, etoposide plus Nutlin-3 or Nutlin-3, as previously reported [21] (Additional file 1: Table S5). This evidence concerns the gene ATM and B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia.