What is Chronic Leukemia?
Transcript
Leukemia is something that needs to be recognized very early and very quickly because it’s aggressive, but then you have things that have chronic in it. So one thing, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, CLL, that is something that’s actually treatable for years and years and years. And it’s not aggressive because it has chronic in it. That’s with one exception I’ll get to in a second. But CLL is actually watched until it’s a problem.
That’s how non-aggressive chronic lymphocytic leukemia is compared to something like acute myeloid leukemia. CLL is treated only when it causes like, you know, pain from having big lymph nodes or causes some of your counts to get low because of too much lymphoma involvement in your bone marrow.
The important thing is when you hear leukemia really distinguishes it acute or chronic that’s with one exception called CMML, and that’s chronic myelomonocytic leukemia. CMML is aggressive and very difficult to treat, but CLL CML, which is chronic myeloid leukemia, that’s a whole different bucket. And both of those oftentimes just take an oral pill that has control for several, several, several months to a few years, oftentimes on average, compared to acute leukemia, which requires really high, intense chemotherapy.
Key Takeaways
1. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is treatable and not aggressive compared to acute myeloid leukemia.
2. CLL is treated only when it causes pain from having big lymph nodes or causes some of your counts to get low.
3. CMML (chronic myelomonocytic leukemia) is aggressive and very difficult to treat.
4. Chronic myeloid leukemia is treated with an oral pill as opposed to really high, intense chemotherapy.
