B-cell chronic lymphocyte leukemia (B-CLL)

Abstract

The past two decades have seen a major progress in the filed of pathphysiology and treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). New findings suggested that CLL comprises two separate types of tumor with different prognosis outcome. CLL formerly was considered an incurable ‘‘oldman’s disease’’ caused by slowly accumulating, incompetent lymphocytes. Because elderly patients were expected to die with CLL rather than from it, the mainstay of therapy was to palliate symptoms with oral, alkylating drugs, such as chlorambucil. However, treatment with such drugs not only could not cure the disease, but also could shorten survival if given to patients with early-stage disease. This article summarizes some of the recent advances that have shaped a new way of thinking about this disease including epidemiology, diagnosis and prognostic factors. Treatment strategies, chemotherapy, monoclonal antibodies have been briefly discussed.