What You Should Know
- CLL can weaken the immune system, so staying up to date on vaccines, taking infection symptoms seriously, and discussing timing with your care team are essential parts of long‑term care.
- Some people may benefit from IVIG if immunoglobulin levels are very low and infections are frequent, though it isn’t needed for everyone and is based on your infection history and lab results.
- Routine cancer screening and skin protection remain especially important, since CLL increases the risk of other cancers — and proactive care with both your CLL team and primary doctor helps you stay ahead of potential problems.
“With CLL in general, I think big issues patients face are increased frequency of infections,” says Dr. Kevin Kelly, hematologist at the University of Southern California.
Read MoreExpert Resources for CLL Patients
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- BTK Inhibitors for CLL Treatment: What Side Effects Can I Expect and How Do I Manage Them?
- BTK Inhibitors Play An Important Role In CLL Treatment & Management
- BTK Inhibitor Combination Therapy for CLL: Weighing the Benefits and Trade-Offs
Staying Ahead of the Curve
One of the best ways to stay ahead of infections is to keep your vaccinations up to date.Vaccines may not work as strongly in people with CLL, but they can still provide important protection. Depending on your age, health, and treatment, your care team may recommend vaccines against influenza, COVID-19, pneumonia, shingles, and RSV.
Timing can be especially important around certain CLL treatments, so talk with your CLL team about when to receive vaccines. People with CLL should generally avoid live vaccines unless specifically advised by their healthcare team.
For some patients, preventing infections may also include immunoglobulin replacement therapy (IVIG).
IVIG provides antibodies collected from healthy donors and may be recommended for people with significantly low immunoglobulin levels who have repeated or serious infections. IVIG can reduce the number of bacterial infections in selected patients, but it is not needed for everyone with CLL and has not been shown to improve overall survival.
WATCH: Tests That Can Inform the Prognosis of CLL
Your doctor may periodically check your immunoglobulin levels and consider your infection history when deciding whether IVIG is appropriate.
Keep a Watchful Eye Out for Infections
It is also important to take signs of infection seriously.
Let your healthcare team know promptly if you develop a fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms that could indicate an infection. Depending on your individual risk, your doctor may recommend additional preventive measures or medications.
CLL and the Risk For Other Cancers
CLL is also associated with an increased risk of developing other cancers, particularly skin cancers. This makes routine cancer screening an important part of your care.
“We encourage patients to keep up with their visits to the primary care doctor and to keep up with their colonoscopy screening. A lot of patients, particularly those living in Southern California, find it very important to see the dermatologist to screen for skin cancers,” Dr. Kelly tells SurvivorNet.
Continue recommended screenings, including mammograms, colon cancer screening, prostate cancer screening, and other age-appropriate tests. Protecting your skin from excessive sun exposure and having regular skin checks are also especially important.
“Any new symptoms the patients might have- anything that shows up on a CT scan or PET scan- we pay close attention to whether there is any evidence of a new solid tumor developing,” Dr. Kelly adds.
SoCal Residents Must Be Extra Vigilant
“Non-melanoma skin cancer is very common in our patients in Southern California, so they need to really keep up with their dermatology visits. On top of that, other types of cancer screening, mammograms, and PSA checks are all very important.”
Staying healthy with CLL is about being proactive. Vaccinations, attention to infections, IVIG when appropriate, routine cancer screening, sun protection, and regular primary care can all help you stay ahead of problems. Your CLL team and primary care doctor can work together to ensure these important aspects of your overall health are not overlooked.
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