There were over 3,400 cases of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) diagnosed in the UK in 2013 and the condition claimed the lives of over 1,000 people in 2014.
However, because this represents fewer than 1% of diagnosed cases of cancer in the UK, we typically hear less about CLL in the mainstream media than we go about cancers.
CLL is far more common in those over 60, with instances in the under 40s incredibly rare. And while, in most cases of CLL, we can never be sure of the cause, it is now believed there are a number of risk factors. These include:
- Having a parent or a brother or sister with CLL, which makes you between 6 and 9 times as likely to develop the condition at some point in your lifetime
- While we don’t yet know why, CLL is more common in white people than black people and is very rare amongst those from China, Japan or other part of Southeast Asia.
- There is a slightly increased chance of CLL in people who have previously had other illnesses including pneumonia, shingles, sinusitis and an inflamed prostate amongst other conditions
Whether or not you’re affected by any of the above, being aware of the signs and symptoms of CLL is important in being able to identify it early.
It should be noted that CLL typically has incredibly mild symptoms in its early stages. It is for this reason that 50% of cases are actually diagnosed because the patient has a routine blood test for a completely unrelated reason.
We should also emphasise that the symptoms below are much more commonly associated with minor conditions and do not necessarily indicate CLL. Nonetheless, these are symptoms common in CLL patients and should be investigated:
- Anaemia, caused by an increase in abnormal white blood cells resulting in fewer red blood cells being created
- Bleeding and bruising easily, caused by the increased abnormal white blood cells resulting in fewer platelets from being produced
- Swollen lymph glands, most commonly in the neck and under the arms
- An enlarged spleen
- Bone pain, typically in more advanced cases where the excess in cells in the bone marrow causes nerve pressure and pain
- Persistent infections that won’t go away
Again, these symptoms are all potentially signs of far less serious, more common conditions. And statistically, they’re far likelier to be less serious conditions than CLL. But if you’re experiencing any of the symptoms here, do contact your GP and get them checked out!
