Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: Something Old, Something New and Something Borrowed...

The article focuses on the identification, diagnosis and treatment of the chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CCL), a disease affecting the elderly manifested by a clonal expansion of mature but functionally defective lymphocytes. No significant connection has been linked on the environmental and occupational risk factors of the disorder, but scientific researched showed a strong risk is attributed on family history. The author mentions the utilization of International Workshop on CLL (IWCLL) guidelines in the diagnosis of CLL. Distinction must be made among CLL, small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) and monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis (MBL) before diagnosis take place. Classification of treatments which can be applied to CLL was also discussed such as chlorambucil and purine analogues.