Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

On this page

Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Prevention and Risk Factors
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Living With
• Related Issues
• Specifics
• Genetics

See, Play and Learn

• No links available

Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Find an Expert

For You

• Patient Handouts

Summary

Leukemia is cancer of the white blood cells. White blood cells help your body fight infection. Your blood cells form in your bone marrow. In leukemia, the bone marrow produces abnormal white blood cells. These cells crowd out the healthy blood cells, making it hard for blood to do its work. In chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), there are too many lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell.

CLL is the second most common type of leukemia in adults. It often occurs during or after middle age, and is rare in children.

Usually CLL does not cause any symptoms. If you have symptoms, they may include

• Painless swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck, underarm, stomach, or groin
• Fatigue
• Pain or a feeling of fullness below the ribs
• Fever and infection
• Weight loss

Tests that examine the blood, bone marrow, and lymph nodes diagnose CLL. Your doctor may choose to just monitor you until symptoms appear or change. Treatments include radiation therapy, chemotherapy, surgery to remove the spleen, and targeted therapy. Targeted therapy uses substances that attack cancer cells or block the growth and spread of cancer cells.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

Start Here

• General Information about Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• What Is Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
• What You Need to Know about Leukemia (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Beta-2 Microglobulin Tumor Marker (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
• Blood Count Tests: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Bone Marrow Aspiration and Biopsy (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
• How Is Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Diagnosed? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
• Lab and Imaging Tests (Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) Also in Spanish
• Stages of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• What Are Bone Marrow Tests? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

Prevention and Risk Factors

• What Are the Risk Factors for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

• Blood Transfusion (Leukemia & Lymphoma Society)
• Bone Marrow Transplantation: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Choosing a Blood Cancer Specialist (Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) - PDF
• Immunotherapy (Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) Also in Spanish
• Integrative Medicine and Complementary and Alternative Therapies (Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) Also in Spanish
• Treatment of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia by Risk Group (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
• Treatment Option Overview (Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia) (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Treatment Options by Stage (Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia) (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Living With

• Supportive Care for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

• Chronic B-Cell Leukemias and Agent Orange (Department of Veterans Affairs)
• What Should You Ask Your Doctor about Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Specifics

• Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma (CLL/SLL) (Lymphoma Research Foundation)
• Leukemia - B-Cell Prolymphocytic Leukemia and Hairy Cell Leukemia (American Society of Clinical Oncology)
• Leukemia -- Chronic T-Cell Lymphocytic (American Society of Clinical Oncology)

Genetics

• Do We Know What Causes Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Statistics and Research

• Cancer Statistics: Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (National Cancer Institute)
• What Are the Key Statistics for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
• What's New in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Research and Treatment? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Leukemia, Lymphoid (National Institutes of Health)
• Types of Treatment: Clinical Trials (Leukemia & Lymphoma Society)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Comparable Efficacy of Idelalisib Plus Rituximab and Ibrutinib in Relapsed/refractory...
• Article: Assessment of the efficacy of ofatumumab in patients with chronic...
• Article: Venetoclax-Rituximab in Relapsed or Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.
• Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• American Cancer Society
• Find a Cancer Doctor (American Society of Clinical Oncology)
• Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
• National Cancer Institute Also in Spanish
• NCI Designated Cancer Centers (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• After chemotherapy - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• B-cell leukemia/lymphoma panel (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Bone marrow transplant (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Bone marrow transplant - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Understanding Chemotherapy (National Cancer Institute) - PDF Also in Spanish
• What to Know about External Beam Radiation Therapy (National Cancer Institute) - PDF Also in Spanish