Chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Survival Rates

Survival rates are different for each person with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Healthcare professionals use something called a prognostic score to determine the chances of surviving certain types of cancers. Prognostic scores for chronic lymphocytic leukemia range from 0 to 10. The higher your score, the lower your chance of survival. Your score is determined by:

• Your age.
• Whether certain gene changes are present in your cancer.
• How much of a specific protein is in your blood.
• The stage of your cancer.

For example, chronic lymphocytic leukemia has a five-year survival rate of about 90% at a score of 0 to 1. The 10-year survival rate for a score of 0 to 1 is about 86%. As the score gets higher, the survival rate gets lower. For chronic lymphocytic leukemia with a score of 7 to 10, the chance of surviving at least five years is about 23%. The 10-year survival rate for a score of 7 to 10 is 0%.

Keep in mind that survival statistics take five or 10 years to collect. The most recent survival rates include people who had treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukemia more than five years ago. These people may not have had access to the latest treatments. Over the last few decades, chronic lymphocytic leukemia death rates have been falling and survival rates have been increasing.