CLL is Not Considered Curable So Treatment May Res...
Leukemia (CLL)
CLL is Not Considered Curable So Treatment May Resume Years Later
Treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is not considered to be curative. This means that after your initial round of CLL treatment through chemotherapy, there may be no signs of leukemia for years, but the cancer will probably return at some point. Sometimes, the first sign is when a patient’s white blood cell count becomes elevated again, even though they feel fine. Sometimes, lymph nodes begin to swell again.
Doctors don’t usually order routine CAT scans for patients who have had initial therapy. So it’s often the patients that bring their CLL recurrence to the attention of their doctor. But the recurrence doesn’t mean that patients need to get another round of therapy right away. Just like with early stage CLL, you can do well with simple monitoring for several months–sometimes even years in case resuming CLL treatment is necessary.
Younger patients or those with more aggressive CLL may be considered for bone marrow transplants. But new targeted drugs, immunotherapies and other treatment combinations are making transplants less common for CLL.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
Treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is not considered to be curative. This means that after your initial round of CLL treatment through chemotherapy, there may be no signs of leukemia for years, but the cancer will probably return at some point. Sometimes, the first sign is when a patient’s white blood cell count becomes elevated again, even though they feel fine. Sometimes, lymph nodes begin to swell again.
Doctors don’t usually order routine CAT scans for patients who have had initial therapy. So it’s often the patients that bring their CLL recurrence to the attention of their doctor. But the recurrence doesn’t mean that patients need to get another round of therapy right away. Just like with early stage CLL, you can do well with simple monitoring for several months–sometimes even years in case resuming CLL treatment is necessary.
Younger patients or those with more aggressive CLL may be considered for bone marrow transplants. But new targeted drugs, immunotherapies and other treatment combinations are making transplants less common for CLL.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
There have been major breakthroughs when it comes to treating CLL. This series outlines some of the newer treatments for later-stage disease.
Later Stage Treatment: What Are My Options?
There have been major breakthroughs when it comes to treating CLL. This series outlines some of the newer treatments for later-stage disease.
Later Stage Treatment: Rare Symptoms
CAR-T therapy has been approved for other types of blood cancers, and it is showing promise for CLL in clinical trials.
Later Stage Treatment: CAR-T Therapy
CAR-T therapy has been approved for other types of blood cancers, and it is showing promise for CLL in clinical trials.