Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)

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Antibodies

Auer rods

Bone marrow aspiration

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia - microscopic view

CLL; Leukemia - chronic lymphocytic (CLL)

• Enlarged lymph nodes , liver, or spleen
• Fatigue
• Abnormal bruising (occurs late in the disease)
• Excessive sweating , night sweats
• Loss of appetite
• Unintentional weight loss

Patients with CLL have a higher-than-normal white blood cell count.

Tests to diagnose CLL include:

• CBC
• Flow cytometry
• Bone marrow aspiration
• Serum protein electrophoresis

If your doctor discovers you have CLL, tests will be done to see how much the cancer has spread. This is called staging. There are two methods to stage CLL.

There are different ways to stage CLL. One system uses numbers to group CLL into low-, intermediate-, and high-risk categories. Generally, the higher the stage number, the more advanced the cancer. Another system uses letters to stage CLL according to how many lymph node groups are affected and whether or not you have a drop in red blood cells and platelets.

Review Date: 09/11/2006
Reviewed By: Corey Cutler, MD, MPH, FRCP(C), Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.