Blood cancer (Chronic lymphocytic leukemia)

Leukemia is cancer of the white blood cells. White blood cells help your body fight infection. Your blood cells form in your bone marrow. In leukemia, the bone marrow produces abnormal white blood cells. These cells crowd out the healthy blood cells, making it hard for blood to do its work. In chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) outnumber the normal cells.

CLL is the second most common type of leukemia in adults. It often occurs during or after middle age. It is rarely found in children.

Usually CLL does not cause any symptoms. If you have symptoms, they may include,

1. Painless swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck, underarm, stomach, or groin

2. Fatigue

3. Pain or a feeling of fullness below the ribs

4. Fever and infection

5. Weight loss

1. Your doctor may recommend you to get tests done to,

a) Examine the blood, bone marrow, and lymph nodes

2. Your doctor may choose to just monitor you until symptoms appear or change. 

Treatments include,

1. Radiation therapy

2. Chemotherapy

3. Surgery to remove the spleen

4. Targeted therapy