did anyone ever hear of cronic lymponic lukemia? i hope i spelt it right!!?

my mother has had lukemia for about 6 years but recently she was rushed to hospital and was told it had transformed into a chronic lymphonic lukemia and it is very rare that this can happen, we were called in and told that there was little chance of her lasting 6 months. we are all devistated as u can imagine im wondering does anyone know what this is? is there a chance she can beat it? why her?

Answers:
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is a malignancy (cancer) of the white blood cells (lymphocytes) characterized by a slow, progressive increase of these cells in the blood and the bone marrow.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors Return to top

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) affects the B lymphocytes and causes immunosuppression, failure of the bone marrow, and invasion of malignant (cancerous) cells into organs.

Usually the symptoms develop gradually. The incidence is about 2 per 100,000 and increases with age (90% of cases are found in people over 50). Many cases are detected by routine blood tests in people with no symptoms. The cause of CLL is unknown. No relationship to radiation, carcinogenic chemicals or viruses has been determined. The disease is more common in Jewish people of Russian or East European descent, and is uncommon in Asia.

Symptoms Return to top

Enlarged lymph nodes, liver, or spleen
Fatigue
Abnormal bruising (occurs late in the disease)
Excessive sweating, night sweats
Loss of appetite
Unintentional weight loss
Signs and tests Return to top

Elevated white blood cell count in a CBC
Flow cytometry revealing an abnormal population of white blood cells.
Bone marrow aspiration
This disease may also alter the results of serum protein electrophoresis.
Treatment Return to top

Since early treatment does not improve survival, early-stage disease often requires no specific treatment, but close observation is important. Chemotherapy may be needed if a patient develops fatigue, anemia, thrombocytopenia, or enlarged lymph nodes that are troublesome.

The anti-cancer medicine (chemotherapy) used first is usually fludarabine. Other medicines that may be used in this disease include chlorambucil (Leukeran) and cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan).

The treatment of CLL is changing rapidly. Recently, several new drugs, including alemtuzumab (Campath) -- which is an antibody against the surface of CLL cells -- has been approved for treatment of patients with CLL who have failed fludarabine. Another antibody drug, rituximab (Rituxan), may also be used alone or in combination with traditional chemotherapy. Rarely, radiation may be used for enlarged lymph nodes. Blood transfusions or platelet transfusions may be required.

Support Groups Return to top

The stress of illness may be eased by joining a support group whose members share common experiences and problems.

Expectations (prognosis) Return to top

The prognosis depends on the stage of the disease. Half of patients diagnosed in the earliest stages of the disease live more than 12 years. On the other hand, if CLL has reached an advanced stage, about half of these patients die within 2 years.

Complications Return to top

Increased risk of second malignancies
Side effects of chemotherapy
Bleeding from low platelets
Fatigue from anemia
Autoimmune hemolytic anemia
Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)
Hypogammaglobulinemia (reduced levels of antibodies) with increased susceptibility to infection

I really suggest that u ask these questions to u're mom's Dr.
the spelling is: chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Please note that I am not a medical doctor. CLL (Chronic lymphona Leukemia) is the term. Usually it progresses relatively slowly, which is relatively good compared with other cancers. You need to be informed what stage is the cancer in. When given a prognosis, it should be noted that every individual's case is different. Please refer to the WebMD site or other medical sites for more information. I wish the best for her and you and your family.
i'm so sorry to hear about your mother.this web site has alot of information on it, hopefully it is helpful, http://www.leukemia-lymphoma.org/all_mat_toc.adp?item_id=3221&cat_id=1204
just remember everyday is a blessing and enjoy it to its fullest
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