Adult Leukemias: CLL

Question 1

What is the yearly incidence of CLL?

Answer 1

15000 cases

Question 2

What is the number of yearly deaths from CLL?

Answer 2

4500

Question 3

How does the incidence rate of CLL compare to ALL and AML?

Answer 3

More than ALL, less than AML

Question 4

What are the two types of CLL?

Answer 4

1) Slow-growing: Low Cd-38 (if CD-38 is low, prognosis is good)
2) Fast-growing

Question 5

A low level of CD-38 in a CLL patient indicates what?

Answer 5

That the leukemia is slow-growing and the prognosis is good.

Question 6

What is the treatment for CLL?

Answer 6

1) Chemotherapy: Rituximab (anti-CD20) and Alemtuzumab (anti-CD52)
2) Leukapheresis

Question 7

What does “-mab” on the end of a medication mean?

Answer 7

monoclonal antibody; these treatments do not go into the cell (they are too big), but keep the ligand from binding on the cell surface

Question 8

True or false: We cannot determine staging of CML or CLL

Answer 8

False; because they are slow-growing, we can determine staging.

Question 9

Not enough blood platelets

Answer 9

Thrombocytopenia

Question 10

Low RBC count.

Answer 10

Anemia

Question 11

Removing circulating leukocytes by filtering the blood and replinishing with donor blood.

Answer 11

Leukapheresis