Frequently Asked Questions

CLL (chronic lymphocytic leukemia) is a type of blood cancer. In people with CLL, the body makes too many abnormal lymphocytes. These abnormal lymphocytes look normal under a microscope, but they do not fight infections like healthy lymphocytes do. Although it is called leukemia, CLL is actually a type of blood cancer called lymphoma. Thinking of CLL as a lymphoma is important, because CLL behaves and is treated like other indolent (slow-growing) lymphomas.

CLL has stage groupings that have a value of 0 or 1 through 4 using Roman numerals I, II, III, and IV. The higher the number, the more advanced the cancer is. The Rai system then groups CLL into low (stage 0), intermediate (stages I and II), and high (stages III and IV) risk groups. 

• Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL): CLL affects lymphoid cells and usually grows slowly. It accounts for more than 15,000 new cases of leukemia each year. Most often, people diagnosed with the disease are over age 55. It almost never affects children.
• Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML): CML affects myeloid cells and usually grows slowly at first. It accounts for nearly 5,000 new cases of leukemia each year. It mainly affects adults.
• Acute lymphocytic (lymphoblastic) leukemia (ALL): ALL affects lymphoid cells and grows quickly. It accounts for more than 5,000 new cases of leukemia each year. ALL is the most common type of leukemia in young children. It also affects adults.
• Acute myeloid leukemia (AML): AML affects myeloid cells and grows quickly. It accounts for more than 13,000 new cases of leukemia each year. It occurs in both adults and children.

CLL is a slow-progressing form of cancer. It can take several years for symptoms to manifest. Doctors and researchers in the United States typically follow the Rai staging system, which classifies CLL into five stages , ranging from 0 to 4. 

In many cases, it causes few, if any problems in its early stages. Many people have CLL that is slow growing and they may have stable disease for years with few or no symptoms. Other people with CLL have a faster-growing form of the disease that may cause more symptoms and need treatment sooner.

This is for all ages. Younger people tend to do better than older people: For those younger than 60: around 95 out of 100 (around 95%) will survive their leukemia for 5 years or more after diagnosis. 

People in stages 0 to II may live for 5 to 20 years without treatment. CLL has a very high incidence rate in people older than 60 years. CLL affects men more than women. If the disease has affected the B cells, the person's life expectancy can range from 10 to 20 years. 

• Processed foods.
• Dairy products.
• Spicy foods.
• Foods high in sugar.
• Foods with a very high or low temperature.
• Raw or undercooked foods.

The prognosis of patients with CLL varies widely at diagnosis. Some patients die rapidly, within 2-3 years of diagnosis, because of complications from CLL. Most patients live 5-10 years, with an initial course that is relatively benign but followed by a terminal, progressive, and resistant phase lasting 1-2 years. 

CLL causes large numbers of abnormal white blood cells called lymphocytes to collect in places like your lymph nodes, spleen, and liver. It's a slow-growing cancer that often takes many years to come back or progress.