Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia – Causes, Symptoms and Treatments!

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia most commonly affects older adults, treatments exist to help manage the disease and symptoms should be identified.

What is chronic lymphocytic leukemia?

It is a cancer that affects a type of white blood cell called a “lymphocyte”. In addition, lymphocytes help your body fight infections. They are made in the center of your bones, called the marrow. If you have CLL, your body produces an abnormally high number of lymphocytes that are not working properly.

The term “chronic” in chronic lymphocytic leukemia  comes from the fact that it usually progresses more slowly than other types of leukemia . Also, the term “lymphocytic” comes from the cells affected by the disease – a group of white blood cells called lymphocytes, which help the body fight infection.

Causes of chronic lymphocytic leukemia :

Doctors aren’t sure what starts the process that causes it. What is known is that something happens to cause a genetic mutation in the DNA of blood-producing cells. This mutation causes blood cells to produce abnormal and ineffective lymphocytes.

In addition to being ineffective, these abnormal lymphocytes continue to live and multiply when normal lymphocytes die. The abnormal lymphocytes accumulate in the blood and in certain organs, where they cause complications. Additionally, they can clump healthy cells outside the bone marrow and interfere with the normal production of blood cells and water .

Doctors and researchers are working to understand the exact mechanism that causes the skin .

Symptoms of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia :

Many people do not have early symptoms. Those who develop signs and symptoms may experience:

• Also, enlarged but painless lymph nodes;
• fatigue ;
• fever ;
• Pain in the upper left part of the abdomen, which may be caused by an enlarged spleen
• Also, night sweats;
• weight loss ;
• Also, frequent infections.

Treatments for chronic lymphocytic leukemia :

Because it is a very slow growing disease, treatment can vary in form and intensity. In addition, clinical observation without drug treatment or chemotherapy, immunotherapy and/or bone marrow transplantation may be indicated, in addition to other resources, such as leukapheresis for the removal of lymphocytes and surgery to remove the spleen.