B-cell CLL

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Peripheral blood smear showing CLL cells
Classification and external resources
Specialty	Hematology and oncology
ICD-10	C91.1
ICD-9-CM	V10.60 204.1 V10.60
ICD-O	M9823/3 (CLL) 9670/3 (SCL)
DiseasesDB	2641
MedlinePlus	000532
eMedicine	med/370
MeSH	D015451
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B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL), also known as chronic lymphoid leukemia (CLL), is the most common type of leukemia (a type of cancer of the white blood cells) in adults. CLL affects B cell lymphocytes, which originate in the bone marrow, develop in the lymph nodes, and normally fight infection by producing antibodies.

In CLL, B cells grow in an uncontrolled manner and accumulate in the bone marrow and blood, where they crowd out healthy blood cells. CLL is a stage of small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), a type of B-cell lymphoma, which presents primarily in the lymph nodes. CLL and SLL are considered the same underlying disease, just with different appearances.

CLL is a disease of the elderly; however, in rare cases, it can occur in teenagers and occasionally in children. Some of these may relate to an inherited predisposition. CLL is more common in men than women, with 63% of new cases occurring in men (UK, 2014).

Most people are diagnosed without symptoms as the result of a routine blood test that shows a high white blood cell count. As it advances, CLL results in swollen lymph nodes, spleen, and liver, and eventually anemia and infections. Early CLL is not treated, and late CLL is treated with chemotherapy and monoclonal antibodies.

DNA analysis has distinguished two major types of CLL, with different survival times. People with CLL that is positive for the marker ZAP-70 have an average survival of 8 years, while those negative for ZAP-70 have an average survival of more than 25 years. Many patients, especially older ones with slowly progressing disease, can be reassured and may not need any treatment in their lifetimes.

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