Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Bone marrow aspiration

Auer rods

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia - microscopic view

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)

Alternative Names:

CLL; Leukemia - chronic lymphocyctic (CLL)
Treatment:

Since early treatment does not improve survival, early-stage disease often requires no specific treatment, but close observation is important. Chemotherapy may be needed if a patient develops fatigue, anemia, thrombocytopenia, or enlarged lymph nodes that are troublesome.

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The anti-cancer medicine (chemotherapy) used first is usually fludarabine. Other medicines that may be used in this disease include chlorambucil (Leukeran) and cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan).

The treatment of CLL is changing rapidly. Recently, several new drugs, including alemtuzumab (Campath) -- which is an antibody against the surface of CLL cells -- has been approved for treatment of patients with CLL who have failed fludarabine. Another antibody drug, rituximab (Rituxan), may also be used alone or in combination with traditional chemotherapy. Rarely, radiation may be used for enlarged lymph nodes. Blood transfusions or platelet transfusions may be required.

Support Groups:

The stress of illness may be eased by joining a support group whose members share common experiences and problems.

Expectations (prognosis):

The prognosis depends on the stage of the disease. Half of patients diagnosed in the earliest stages of the disease live more than 12 years. On the other hand, if CLL has reached an advanced stage, about half of these patients die within 2 years.

Complications:

Increased risk of second malignancies
Side effects of chemotherapy
Bleeding from low platelets
Fatigue from anemia
Autoimmune hemolytic anemia
Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)
Hypogammaglobulinemia (reduced levels of antibodies) with increased susceptibility to infection

Calling your health care provider:

Call health care provider if you develop enlarged lymph nodes or unexplained fatigue, bruising, excessive sweating, or weight loss.