HWN Suggests

Stepping up to the Plate for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

The experience can be overwhelming for someone newly diagnosed with CLL, so one of the first things I recommend is to take some deep breaths and start becoming familiar with the disease. Learning about the disease is an iterative process, so I encourage others to start by learning the vocabulary, acronyms, and other key terms. It’s good to frontload knowledge on the disease because, as we say at CLL Society, smart patients get smart care. Join a CLL support group. I would also recommend working with someone who specializes in CLL – a true CLL expert – to make care decisions. We’re inclined to believe that all physicians are experts by nature, but CLL is a rare cancer and some may not be well-versed…

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 Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) and small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL)

CLL and SLL are different forms of the same illness. They develop when B cells that don’t work properly build up in different parts of your body. In CLL, the abnormal B cells build up in your blood and bone marrow. This is why it’s called ‘leukaemia’ – after ‘leucocytes’: the medical name for white blood cells. In SLL, the abnormal B cells mainly build up in your lymph nodes. This is why it’s called ‘lymphoma’.

Articles of Interest

A Cancer Treatment Makes Leukemia Vanish, but Creates More Mysteries

Two early recipients of CAR T immunotherapy were free of a blood cancer nearly a decade after receiving the therapy.

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is a malignancy of CD5+ B cells that is characterized by the accumulation of small, mature-appearing lymphocytes in the blood, marrow and lymphoid tissues. Signalling via surface immunoglobulin, which constitutes the major part of the B cell receptor, and several genetic alterations play a part in CLL pathogenesis, in addition to interactions between CLL cells and other cell types, such as stromal cells, T cells and nurse-like cells in the lymph nodes.

Exploring Novel Strategies for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

The treatment for CLL has evolved over the last decade. I remember when I started in training, there was still a lot of use of chemotherapy. And since the approval of ibrutinib, which was one of the first novel therapies for CLL to BTK inhibitor, things have rapidly shifted in terms of treatment. So I almost never use chemotherapy at this point, and I'm using novel agents right up front for the first-line treatment.

How I Learned to Live with CLL—And Stop Letting It Control Me

CLL isn’t a death sentence. Be your own advocate. Go and find the information. I know there are other sources, but HealthUnlocked was so fantastic for me. Build a good support system.

Living with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL): Understanding the Journey, Symptoms, and Treatment Options

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) is the most common form of leukemia in adults in Western countries. CLL is a disease of the white blood cells that typically affects adults over the age of 50 and is rarely seen in children. Most people do not have symptoms when diagnosed with CLL; however, some may present with enlarged lymph nodes. In late-stage diagnosis, patients may report fatigue, fever, night sweats, weight loss, pain in the upper left portion of the abdomen (due to an enlarged spleen) and frequent infections.

Next-generation sequencing: The future of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) genomics?

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common form of adult leukemia in the USA and in Europe, typically presenting later in life with a mean diagnosis age of 72 years1. CLL presents an extremely heterogeneous clinical course with some patients being asymptomatic living for decades without treatment while others may present an aggressive variant with rapid progression. Thus, identifying key disease-associated biomarkers is crucial for understanding CLL classification and progression.

Why Hope is Important For Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

For me, the hardest part of dealing with chronic lymphocytic leukemia is the roller coaster of blood chemistry analysis. The platelet count goes up and down. It’s frustrating. It’s disappointing. It’s anxiety-producing. And the worst part is that there’s no diet, exercise or meditation practice that will change the test results. So, for me, hope is the most important resource in my toolbox of well-being. Others include courage to get through chemotherapy, radiation or surgery; strength to recover from the side effects; faith to keep going spiritually; and finally, love from family and friends. Love transforms us and gives us resilience.

Resources

CLL Society

CLL Society is the world’s leading authority for chronic lymphocytic leukemia and small lymphocytic lymphoma cancer patients.

Leukaemia Foundation

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is a type of slow-growing leukaemia that affects developing B-lymphocytes. B lymphocytes (also known as B-cells) are specialised white blood cells. Under normal conditions they produce immunoglobulins (also called antibodies) that help protect our bodies against infection and disease. In people with CLL, lymphocytes undergo a malignant (cancerous) change and become leukaemic cells. It is important to emphasise that for many people CLL remains stable for many months and years and has little, if any, impact on their lifestyle or general health. Around 30-50% of people diagnosed with CLL never require any treatment for their disease and can survive for many years despite their diagnosis.

Cancer Research UK

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is a type of blood cancer. It affects the blood and bone marrow. CLL affects the white blood cells called lymphocytes. It tends to develop very slowly.

StatPearls

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is a chronic lymphoproliferative disorder characterized by monoclonal B cell proliferation. It is the most common adult leukemia in Western populations and comprises 25 to 30 percent of leukemias in the United States.