Description

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow, the spongy tissue inside bones where blood cells are made.

The term "chronic" in chronic lymphocytic leukemia comes from the fact that this leukemia typically progresses more slowly than other types of leukemia. The term "lymphocytic" in chronic lymphocytic leukemia comes from the cells affected by the disease — a group of white blood cells, called lymphocytes, which help your body fight the infection.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia most commonly affects older adults. There are treatments to help control the disease.

Symptoms

Many people with chronic lymphocytic leukemia do not have any symptoms in the beginning. Signs and symptoms may develop as the cancer progresses. These could include:

  • Enlarged, but without pain, the lymph nodes
  • Fatigue
  • Fever
  • Pain in the upper left of the abdomen, which can be caused by an enlargement of the spleen
  • Night sweats
  • Weight loss
  • Frequent infections

When to see a doctor

Make an appointment with your doctor if you have any persistent signs and symptoms that worry you.

Causes

The doctors are not certain what starts the process that causes chronic lymphocytic leukemia. What is known is that something happens to cause changes (mutations) in the DNA of the blood-producing cells. A cell's DNA contains the instructions that tell the cell what to do. The changes tell the blood cells to produce abnormal, the ineffectiveness of the lymphocytes.

Beyond being ineffective, these abnormal cells continue to live and multiply when healthy lymphocytes was going to die. The abnormal lymphocytes build up in the blood and certain organs, where they cause complications. You can move to the healthy cells of the bone marrow and interfere with the production of blood cells.

The doctors and researchers are working to understand the exact mechanism that causes chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Risk factors

Factors that may increase the risk of chronic lymphocytic leukemia include:

  • Of his age. This disease occurs most often in older adults.
  • Your race. White people are more likely to develop chronic lymphocytic leukemia who are people of other races.
  • The history of the family of blood and bone marrow cancer. A family history of chronic lymphocytic leukemia or other blood and bone marrow cancer can increase your risk.
  • Exposure to chemicals. Certain herbicides and insecticides, including Agent Orange used in the Vietnam War, have been linked with an increased risk of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
  • A condition that causes excess lymphocytes. Monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis (MBL) causes an increase in the number of a type of lymphocyte (B-cell) in the blood. For a small number of individuals with MBL , the condition may develop in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. If you have MBL and also have a family history of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, you may have an increased risk of developing cancer.

Complications

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia may cause complications such as:

  • Frequent infections. If you have chronic lymphocytic leukemia, you may experience frequent infections that can be serious. Sometimes infections occur because their blood does not have enough germ-fighting antibodies (immunoglobulins). Your doctor may recommend regular infusions of immunoglobulin.
  • A change to a more aggressive form of cancer. A small number of people with chronic lymphocytic leukemia may develop a more aggressive form of cancer called diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Sometimes doctors refer to this as Richter's syndrome.
  • The increased risk of other cancers. People with chronic lymphocytic leukemia have an increased risk of other types of cancer, including skin cancer and cancer of the lung and the digestive tract.
  • Immune system problems. A small number of people with chronic lymphocytic leukemia may develop an immune system problem that causes the disease-fighting cells of the immune system to mistakenly attack the red blood cells (autoimmune hemolytic anemia), or platelets (thrombocytopenia, autoimmune).

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Symptoms and treatment of Chronic lymphocytic leukemia