Chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Mayo Clinic doctors provide expert, personalized care to people with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Your care team might include:

• Hematologists.
• Oncologists.
• Pathologists.
• Radiation oncologists.
• Radiologists.
• Infectious disease specialists.
• Bone marrow transplant specialists.

If you have other health conditions that could be affected by cancer treatment, your team may include other specialists. Your team works together to provide exactly the care you need.

Mayo Clinic pathologists who specialize in diseases of the blood, called hematopathologists, are experienced with all types of leukemias. These pathologists work closely with your care team to ensure an accurate diagnosis of this complex disease.

A Mayo Clinic study found that people who were cared for by doctors who focus solely on chronic lymphocytic leukemia had longer overall survival than those who were treated by hematologists and oncologists who manage many types of cancers.

At Mayo Clinic, hematologists who specialize in chronic lymphocytic leukemia meet regularly to discuss cases. By combining years of experience, this team draws on collective knowledge to be certain that each person with chronic lymphocytic leukemia receives an effective, personalized treatment plan.

Most people diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia don't need treatment right away. At Mayo Clinic, these people are actively cared for using the latest protocols for active surveillance and management of complications.

If your cancer doesn't require immediate treatment, you can expect:

• Regular appointments with a specialist. For most people, Mayo Clinic recommends appointments every 3 to 6 months at first. A chronic lymphocytic leukemia specialist will review your test results with you and discuss your concerns.
• Comprehensive assessment of disease. Mayo Clinic experts use proven laboratory techniques to determine your risk of progression. Your care team will perform a comprehensive assessment of disease evaluation. This includes a combination of laboratory tests and physical examination to determine whether you may need treatment and when.
• Management of complications. People with chronic lymphocytic leukemia receive the recommended vaccinations to help manage infection risk. Appropriate cancer screenings are used to manage the increased risk of additional types of cancer.
• Clinical trials for early interventions. People who don't require treatment right away are encouraged to join clinical trials to study early interventions.

Mayo Clinic offers cutting-edge treatment along the entire spectrum of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. This includes people who are newly diagnosed and require treatment. It includes those for whom other treatments haven't worked. And it includes people whose cancer returns after a period of remission and those with Richter syndrome.

Mayo Clinic doctors work with you to review your treatment options and to choose the treatment that suits your chronic lymphocytic leukemia and takes into account your needs and goals. Treatments offered to people with chronic lymphocytic leukemia include bone marrow transplant, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy, among others.

In addition to established treatments, clinical trials investigating the latest treatments are available for all stages of disease.

Specialists at Mayo Clinic were the first to publish results on the effectiveness of the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda) for people with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and Richter syndrome.

Mayo Clinic doctors have experience diagnosing and treating this condition. Each year, Mayo Clinic doctors care for more than 2,700 people with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.