Chronic Lymphoid Leukemia, also known as LLC or chronic lymphocytic leukemia, is a type of leukemia characterized by an increase in the amount of mature lymphocytes in peripheral blood, in addition to an increase in lymph nodes, weight loss and excessive tiredness, for example.
LLC is usually diagnosed from the age of 65 onwards, because the disease has a slow evolution, and the symptoms are usually noticed when the disease is already at a more advanced stage. Because of the delay in the appearance of symptoms, the disease is usually identified during routine blood tests, especially blood count, in which the increase in the number of lymphocytes can be identified.
LLC Symptoms
The LLC develops over months or years and, therefore, symptoms appear gradually, and the disease is often identified when it is already at a more advanced stage. The indicative symptoms of LLC are:
- Increased lymph nodes and lymph nodes; Fatigue; Shortness of breath during physical activity; Enlarged spleen, also called splenomegaly; Hepatomegaly, which is the enlargement of the liver; Recurrent infections of the skin, urine and lungs; Weight loss.
As the disease does not present symptoms in its initial phase, the LLC can be identified after performing routine tests, in which the increase in the number of lymphocytes and leukocytes can be seen in the blood test.
How the diagnosis is made
The diagnosis of Chronic Lymphoid Leukemia is made from the analysis of blood cells through the result of the blood count, which is made from the analysis of a blood sample. In the complete blood count of the LLC it is possible to identify leukocytosis, usually above 25, 000 cells / mm³ of blood, and persistent lymphocytosis, usually above 5000 lymphocytes / mm³ of blood. In addition, some patients have anemia and thrombocytopenia, which is a decrease in the amount of platelets in the blood. See what the white blood cell reference values are.
Despite being mature, the lymphocytes present in the peripheral blood are small and fragile and, therefore, at the time of making the blood smear they can rupture and give rise to nuclear shadows, also called Gumprecht shadows, which are also taken into account for complete the diagnosis.
Although the blood count is sufficient to complete the diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, immunophenotyping tests are necessary to identify the presence of markers that confirm that it is a leukemia related to the proliferation of type B lymphocytes and that it is chronic. Immunophenotyping is considered the gold standard of identification not only for LLC but also for other types of leukemia.
In some cases, the doctor may request a myelogram, which is an exam done to analyze the cells present in the bone marrow, which in the case of LLC has more than 30% of mature lymphocytes. This exam, however, is not much requested to diagnose the disease, but to verify the evolution, infiltration pattern of the lymphocytes and to define the prognosis. Understand how the myelogram is made.
LLC treatment
LLC is treated according to the stage of the disease:
- Low risk: in which only leukocytosis and lymphocytosis are identified, without any other symptoms. Thus, the doctor accompanies the patient and it is not necessary to carry out the treatment; Intermediate risk: in which lymphocytosis, enlarged lymph nodes and liver or splenomegaly are observed, requiring medical monitoring to check the evolution of the disease and treatment with chemo or radiotherapy; High risk: in which the characteristic symptoms of CLL are identified, in addition to anemia and thrombocytopenia, treatment should be started immediately. The most recommended treatment in this case is bone marrow transplantation, and chemotherapy and radiation therapy are also required.
Once the increase in the amount of lymphocytes in the peripheral blood is identified, it is important that the doctor assesses the patient's general condition so that the diagnosis of CLL is confirmed and treatment can be started and the disease progression can be avoided.
Both radiotherapy and chemotherapy can be quite debilitating and interfere with a person's quality of life. Thus, it is interesting to have a healthy and balanced diet to ensure the feeling of well-being and alleviate the symptoms associated with these types of treatment. Check out the following video on the best foods to relieve the side effects of chemotherapy:
