blood disorders
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
Introduction
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is usually a slowly progressing disease in which mature-appearing lymphocytes (a type of White Blood Cells ) become cancerous and gradually replace normal cells in lymph nodes. People may have no symptoms, or they may have general symptoms such as tiredness, fever, night sweats, and unintended weight loss. People may also have enlarged lymph nodes and a sense of abdominal fullness due to enlargement of the spleen. Blood tests are needed for diagnosis. Treatment includes chemotherapy drugs, monoclonal antibodies, and sometimes radiation therapy. (See also Overview of Leukemia ) More than three fourths of the people who have chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) are older than 60, and the disease is extremely rare in children. CLL is the most common type of Overview of Leukemia in North America and Europe. It is rare in Japan and Southeast Asia and in people of Japanese and Southeast Asian descent living in the United States, which suggests that genetics plays some role in its development. The number of cancerous, mature-appearing lymphocytes increases first in the blood, bone marrow, and lymph nodes. Cancerous lymphocytes then spread to the liver and spleen, both of which begin to enlarge. In the bone marrow, cancerous lymphocytes may crowd out normal blood-producing cells, resulting in a decreased number of one or more of the following: Red Blood Cells , which carry oxygen in the bloodstream White Blood Cells , which help defend the body against infection Platelets , small cell-like particles that help in the clotting process Cancerous lymphocytes do not function like normal lymphocytes, which produce proteins (antibodies) that help fight infections. The smaller number of healthy lymphocytes that remain are not always able to produce enough antibodies, so infection is likely. Also, the immune system, which ordinarily defends the body against foreign organisms and substances, sometimes becomes misguided, reacting to and destroying normal tissues. This misguided immune activity can result in the destruction of red blood cells, neutrophils, or platelets. CLL can sometimes transform into an aggressive cancer called Overview of Lymphoma . This type of transformation, called Richter's transformation, happens in 2 to 10 percent of cases. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia only rarely occurs in children. 