Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Overview

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a type of chronic leukemia. “Chronic” means that the leukemia usually gets worse slowly. In CLL, the bone marrow makes abnormal lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell). When the abnormal cells crowd out the healthy cells, it can lead to infection, anemia, and easy bleeding. The abnormal cells can also spread outside the blood to other parts of the body. CLL is one of the most common types of leukemia in adults. It often occurs during or after middle age. It is rare in children.

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Symptoms

In the beginning, CLL does not cause any symptoms. Later, you can have symptoms such as:

Swollen lymph nodes – you may notice them as painless lumps in the neck, underarm, stomach, or groin
Weakness or feeling tired
Pain or a feeling of fullness below the ribs
Fever and infection
Easy bruising or bleeding
Petechiae, which are tiny red dots under the skin. They are caused by bleeding.
Weight loss for no known reason
Drenching night sweats

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Causes

CLL happens when there are changes in the genetic material (DNA) in bone marrow cells. The cause of these genetic changes is unknown, so it’s hard to predict who might get CLL. There are a few factors that might raise your risk.

Age – your risk goes up as you get older. Most people who are diagnosed with CLL are over 50.
Family history of CLL and other blood and bone marrow diseases
Exposure to certain chemicals

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Diagnostics

Your health care provider may use many tools to diagnose CLL:

A physical exam
A medical history
Blood tests, such as a complete blood count (CBC) with differential and blood chemistry tests. Blood chemistry tests measure different substances in the blood, including electrolytes, fats, proteins, glucose (sugar), and enzymes. Specific blood chemistry tests include a basic metabolic panel (BMP), a comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP), kidney function tests, liver function tests, and an electrolyte panel
Flow cytometry tests, which check for leukemia cells and identify which type of leukemia it is. The tests can be done on blood, bone marrow, or other tissue
Genetic tests to look for gene and chromosome changes

If you are diagnosed with CLL, you may have additional tests to see whether the cancer has spread. These include imaging tests and bone marrow tests.

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Treatment

Treatments for CLL include:

Watchful waiting, which means that you don’t get treatment right away. Your health care provider regularly checks to see if your signs or symptoms appear or change.
Targeted therapy, which uses drugs or other substances that attack specific cancer cells with less harm to normal cells.
Chemotherapy
Radiation therapy
Immunotherapy
Chemotherapy with bone marrow or stem cell transplant

The goals of treatment are to slow the growth of the leukemia cells and to give you long periods of remission. Remission means that the signs and symptoms of cancer are reduced or have disappeared. The CLL may come back after remission, and you may need more treatment.

Why should I contact Intercontinental Care?

Typically, we rely on our friends or relatives for recommendations, but when it comes to matters concerning your health, you should turn to experts. Access to medical services can be challenging due to waiting lists or high costs as well as a lack of awareness about the best available treatment options. Our team, comprised of doctors from various countries with many years of experience, aims to create an easy way for patients to access the best medical services in the world.

How much do the medical concierge services cost?

Our concierge services are free of charge for patients. Intercontinental Care also acts as a consultant for governments and hospitals, helping them manage international patients by selecting the most appropriate hospitals, controlling costs, and ensuring favorable clinical outcomes. We generate profit from these collaborations, enabling us to assist you completely for free.

Once I receive the treatment plans, do I have to select one?

There is absolutely no need to accept any of our offers. You are free to take your time to consider our offers. We understand that your health is a delicate matter and a decision should not be made without careful consideration. That is why our treatment offers include all the information about prices and treatment options and are provided only from the best hospitals, specialized in treating your disease, so that you can make an informed decision. We can also provide additional treatment offers based on your preferences or available budget.

How will you know what is the best solution for my case?

Evaluating all the possible treatment options can be very difficult and unfortunately many hospitals tend to charge more to private patients because they know their that they are not fully aware of the services they are purchasing. Our medical advisors have more than 20 years of experience working for leading healthcare facilities across more than 50 countries. Our extensive network of specialists stays updated on the latest research, surgical techniques, treatment options as well as prices. This allows our company to advise patients on the best options for their health.