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Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)

Treatments

Early stage disease often requires no specific treatment, but it is important to be closely monitored by your doctor.

Chemotherapy may be needed if fatigue, anemia, thrombocytopenia, recurrent infections, or lymph node swelling occurs. Several chemotherapy drugs are commonly used to treat CLL. Fludarabine, chlorambucil, cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan), and rituximab (Rituxan) may be used.

Alemtuzumab (Campath) is approved for treatment of patients with CLL that has not responded to fludarabine. Bendamustine is a newer drug recently approved for use in patients with CLL that has come back after initial treatment.

Rarely, radiation may be used for enlarged lymph nodes. Blood transfusions or platelet transfusions may be required. Bone marrow or stem cell transplantation may be used in younger patients with advanced CLL. Right now, transplant is the only therapy that offers a potential cure for CLL.

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