Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is typically a slow-growing cancer that may not require treatment. While some people may refer to this as a "good" type of cancer, it doesn't really make receiving a cancer diagnosis any easier.
People may receive maintenance therapy to help keep the cancer in remission, but chronic leukemia can seldom be cured with chemotherapy. However, stem cell transplants offer some people with chronic leukemia the chance for cure.
Because of acute lymphoblastic leukemia's (ALL's) rapid growth, most patients need to start chemotherapy soon after diagnosis. Chemotherapy drugs kill fast-growing cells throughout the body including cancer cells and normal, healthy cells. The damage to normal, healthy cells can cause side effects.
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is the most common type of slow-growing leukemia. It usually affects older adults. CLL starts in the lymphoid (white blood) cells of the bone marrow and progresses slowly.
While it is similar in many ways to the other subtypes, APL is distinctive and has a specific treatment regime. Treatment outcomes for APL are very good, and it is considered the most curable type of leukemia, with cure rates as high as 90%.
Chronic leukemia progresses more slowly and results in the accumulation of relatively mature, but still abnormal, white blood cells. It tends to take longer to start causing noticeable problems than acute leukemia. However, chronic, slower-growing leukemia may be more difficult to treat.
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) 5-year survival rate is 88%. Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) 5-year survival rate is 71.3%. Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) 5-year survival rate is 70.6%. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) 5-year survival rate is 31.7%.
Mixed lineage acute leukemias
These types of leukemias may be called mixed lineage leukemia, acute undifferentiated leukemia, or, or mixed phenotype acute leukemia (MPAL). Most studies suggest these leukemias tend to have a poorer outlook than standard subtypes of ALL or AML.
Indolent CLL is slow growing and can remain stable without treatment for years. If your CLL is indolent, it means that there are an increased number of lymphocytes in your blood, but your other blood cell counts are normal or only slightly below normal. Your physician may recommend "watchful waiting" in this situation.
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has long been considered an incurable disease.
Third phase — maintenance chemotherapy.
If caught early, leukemia can be cured by undergoing several cancer treatments.
Because of chemotherapy's possible risks and side effects, it is not always recommended. Your oncologist may recommend avoiding chemotherapy if your body is not healthy enough to withstand chemotherapy or if there is a more effective treatment available.
While there is currently no cure for leukemia, it is possible to treat the cancer to prevent it from coming back. Treatment success depends on a range of factors. Treatment can include: chemotherapy.
Generally for all people with ALL:
more than 65 out of 100 people (more than 65%) will survive their leukaemia for 5 years or more after being diagnosed.
Mel Mann was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia and given three years to live — more than 27 years ago. He enrolled in one of the first clinical trials for a drug called Gleevec (imatinib).
Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is an aggressive condition that develops rapidly, so treatment will usually begin a few days after a diagnosis has been confirmed.
Acute leukemias have a rapid onset and progress quickly, whereas chronic leukemias develop slowly and progress over several years. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common type of acute leukemia in adults.
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.
Younger people tend to do better than older people. For those younger than 40: more than 50 out of 100 (more than 50%) will survive their leukaemia for 5 years or more after diagnosis.
With CLL , the most common chronic adult leukemia, you may feel well for years without needing treatment.
Leukemia staging is generally determined by blood cell counts and the accumulation of leukemia cells within organs. When diagnosing leukemia, the test most commonly performed is a complete blood count (CBC), which measures: White blood cell count. Red blood cell count.
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) can rarely be cured. Still, most people live with the disease for many years. Some people with CLL can live for years without treatment, but over time, most will need to be treated.