Chronic lymphocytic leukemia: which is, symptoms and treatment
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia, also known as CLL or chronic lymphocytic leukemia, is a type of leukemia characterized by an increase in the number of mature lymphocytes in peripheral blood, as well as increased lymph nodes, weight loss and excessive fatigue, for example.
- CLL is usually diagnosed from the age of 65 because the disease has a slow progression and symptoms are usually noticed when the disease is already at a more advanced stage.
- Due to delayed onset of symptoms.
- The disease is usually identified during routine blood.
- Tests.
- Especially the blood formula.
- In which the increase in the number of lymphocytes can be identified.
CLL develops over months or years and, as a result, symptoms appear gradually, and the disease is often identified when it is already at a more advanced stage.Symptoms indicative of CLL include:
Because the disease has no symptoms in its initial phase, CLL can be identified after routine tests, in which the increase in the number of lymphocytes and leukocytes can be observed in the blood test.
Diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia is made from blood cell testing by the result of the blood formula count, which is done from the analysis of a blood sample. In the complete blood formula of CLL, it is possible to identify leukodytosis, usually more than 25,000 blood cells/mm3, and persistent lymphocytosis, usually greater than 5,000 lymphocytes/mm3 of blood.In addition, some patients have anemia and thrombocytopenia, which corresponds to a decrease in the number of platelets in the blood.reference values are for white blood cells.
Although mature, peripheral blood lymphocytes are small and fragile and therefore, at the time of blood smear, can break and lead to nuclear shadows, also called Gumprecht shadows, which are also taken into account to complete the diagnosis..
While the blood formula is sufficient to complete the diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, immunophenotype tests are needed to identify markers that confirm that these are leukemia linked to the proliferation of type B lymphocytes and that it is chronic.Immunophenotyping is considered the gold standard of identification not only for CLL but also for other types of leukemia.
In some cases, your doctor may order a myelogram, which is a test to test the cells in your bone marrow, which in the case of CLL has more than 30% mature lymphocytes, however, this test is not very fashionable.They require diagnosing the disease, but to check the evolution, the pattern of lymphocyte infiltration and define the prognosis.Understand how myelogram is performed.
LLC is treated according to the stage of the disease
Once the increase in the number of lymphocytes in the peripheral blood is identified, it is important that the doctor evaluate the general condition of the patient so that the diagnosis of CLL is confirmed and treatment can be started and the progression of the disease can be prevented. disease.
Radiation therapy and chemotherapy can be quite debilitating and interfere with a person’s quality of life, so it is interesting to have a healthy and balanced diet that ensures the feeling of well-being and alleviates the symptoms associated with such treatments.video about the best foods to alleviate the side effects of chemotherapy: