Can Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) at stage 0 progress to stage 1,2,3 or 4?
According to my doctor this rarely happens and that I am not going to die from this, but from what I've seen things in medicine are not absolute. Is Stage 0 of CLL bad? What is the life span for this stage? What should I expect from this disease?
- mountain gal
My dear: I would not begin to tell you your prognosis? But what I would do if I were you is burn up the medical websites and get every bit of information you can get. Talk to the counselor at Cancer Centers of America. Do you have a
definite diagnosis proven by various tests?/ Then you must
educate yourself on all aspects of this disease and how to
overcome it. With any disease---the patient can make it worse
or the patient can make it better---even cure it most times.
The best of luck to you. P.S.-If you arre under 18, try getting
some info from St. Judes Hospital for Children
- Becca
People like you can live indefinitely. But, you will need to have your blood counts monitored for the rest of your life. Also, yes, CLL can progress, which is why it is important to monitor your CBC. 25% of CLL patients can progress to lymphoma (bone marrow undergoing what is called "Richter's transformation"). Do not dwell on this, though, because it could be 15 years down the line, or most likely will never happen!
People with stage 0 CLL will not usually see any effects. Possibly the immune system is low and you may be more susceptible to infection (because the lymphocyte WBCs proliferate often at the expense of mature neutrophils). If your disease progresses, you can have pancytopenia (bone marrow depression) due to overgrowth of lymphocytes. Swollen lymph nodes are usually present in stage IV. Keep in mind, even if you do progress, CLL is treatable with chemotherapy.
- punk_ass
well lucky for u, i have stage 3 i hope it cant progress higher
- Char
Here is the best info out there on Leukemia:
http://www.leukemia-lymphoma.org/hm_lls
Best wishes
- leble_99
Leukemia is a very serious disease. My brother learned he had CLL when he was 43. It is rare for a person of this age to get this kind of leukemia. I believe most people are in their 60's when they are diagnosed with CLL. I don't know what stage my brother was in when they found it. He went in for a routine blood test and was given the news. The doctors told him that he could expect to live for about five years, possibly longer. Since that time he has had radiation treatment and two rounds of chemo. It went into remission for a little while but it is back in full force now. His lymph nodes are swollen in his neck and in his belly. He is very tired. He gets sick a lot. He's been in the hospital now for two weeks with pneumonia. He is not responding to chemotherapy any longer. He will see a specialist about a bone marrow transplant when he gets out of the hospital. I don't want to scare you but this is what is happening to my brother with CLL.
Leukemia — Comprehensive overview covers symptoms, causes, risk factors, treatment of this blood-related cancer.
Orignal From: Can Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) at stage 0 progress to stage 1,2,3 or 4?
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