Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
Source: MedlinePlus Health Topics, U.S. National Library of Medicine
What is leukemia? Leukemia is a term for cancers of the blood cells. Leukemia starts in blood-forming tissues such as the bone marrow. Your bone marrow makes the cells which will develop into white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. Each type of cell has a different job: White blood cells help your body fight infection Red blood cells deliver oxygen from your lungs to your tissues and organs Platelets help form clots to stop bleeding When you have leukemia, your bone marrow makes large numbers of abnormal cells. This problem most often happens with white blood cells. These abnormal cells build up in your bone marrow and blood. They crowd out the healthy blood cells and make it hard for your cells and blood to do their work. What is chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)? Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a type of chronic leukemia. "Chronic" means that the leukemia usually gets worse slowly. In CLL, the bone marrow makes abnormal lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell). When the abnormal cells crowd out the healthy cells, it can lead to infection, anemia , and easy bleeding . The abnormal cells can also spread outside the blood to other parts of the body. CLL is one of the most common types of leukemia in adults. It often occurs during or after middle age. It is rare in children . What causes chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)? CLL happens when there are changes in the genetic material (DNA) in bone marrow cells. The cause of these genetic changes is unknown, so it's hard to predict who might get CLL. There are a few factors that might raise your risk. Who is at risk for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)? It is hard to predict who will get CLL. There are a few factors that could raise your risk: Age - your risk goes up as you get older. Most people who are diagnosed with CLL are over 50. Family history of CLL and other blood and bone marrow diseases Racial/ethnic group - CLL is more common in whites than in people from other racial or ethnic groups Expos