Overview. 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.
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is the most common type of slow-growing leukemia. It usually affects older adults. CLL starts in the lymphoid (white blood) cells of the bone marrow and progresses slowly.
Chronic leukemia may go undetected
Because chronic leukemia is very slow-growing and may not cause symptoms, it's common for the disease to first be detected in normal blood work when a patient goes to the doctor for a regular checkup.
Stage 0 is low risk. Stages I and II are intermediate risk. Stages III and IV are high risk.
CLL patients have a number of effective treatment options available to them. For slow-growing CLL, watch and wait or watchful waiting may be an appropriate treatment approach. Many people with CLL live good-quality lives for years with medical care.
Around 87% of people with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) live for 5 or more years following diagnosis. Although doctors cannot often cure the disease, a person can live with this form of leukemia for many years.
People with CLL at a lower stage (with less disease) generally have a better prognosis than those with more advanced CLL. Most people live for about 10 years, but this varies depending on how CLL behaves. People in stages 0 to II may live for 5 to 20 years without treatment.
Chronic leukemia progresses more slowly and results in the accumulation of relatively mature, but still abnormal, white blood cells. It tends to take longer to start causing noticeable problems than acute leukemia. However, chronic, slower-growing leukemia may be more difficult to treat.
Chronic leukemia involves mature or partially mature cells. These cells multiply more slowly and are less aggressive, making chronic leukemia less aggressive than acute leukemia.
Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) often develops very slowly. You might need little or no treatment. Although it is not usually curable, the disease can be under control for many years.
Many people with CLL don't have any symptoms. It's often found when the doctor orders blood tests for some other health problem or during a check-up.
CLL is difficult to diagnose, because the symptoms only manifest in the later stages of the disease. As in all types of care, a late diagnosis often means worse prognosis.
Chronic leukemia involves more-mature blood cells. These blood cells replicate or accumulate more slowly and can function normally for a period of time. Some forms of chronic leukemia initially produce no early symptoms and can go unnoticed or undiagnosed for years.
Because of advances in diagnosis and treatment of this disease, APL is now considered the most curable form of adult leukemia. Cure rates of 90 percent have been reported from centers specializing in APL treatment. A common symptom of APL is bleeding.
Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is an aggressive condition that develops rapidly, so treatment will usually begin a few days after a diagnosis has been confirmed.
Overview. 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.
Acute leukemias have a rapid onset and progress quickly, whereas chronic leukemias develop slowly and progress over several years. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common type of acute leukemia in adults.
APL is a medical emergency, as treatment must be initiated as soon as the disease is suspected in order to decrease the risk of complications associated with APL coagulopathy. The development of therapy for APL is a success story in the realm of cancer and leukemia treatment.
Life expectancy will depend on a person's age, the type of leukemia, and other factors. For children with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), the 5-year survival rate is now around 90%, according to the American Cancer Society. For other types, however, the chance of living 5 years or more with leukemia may be lower .
Certain subtypes, such as acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), have higher survival statistics than others. Other subtypes may have certain characteristics such as gene and chromosome changes that can also affect your prognosis.
The 5-year relative survival rate for people age 20 and older is 43%. The 5-year relative survival rate for people under age 20 is 90%. Recent advances in treatment have significantly lengthened the lives of people with ALL. However, the survival rates for the disease vary based on several factors.
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL): On average, people with this cancer survive 9 years, although some have lived for decades, cancer always comes back at some point.
Acute leukaemia develops very quickly. Chronic leukaemia tends to develop slowly. Usually over months or years without causing many symptoms.
Leukemia staging is generally determined by blood cell counts and the accumulation of leukemia cells within organs. When diagnosing leukemia, the test most commonly performed is a complete blood count (CBC), which measures: White blood cell count. Red blood cell count.