Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common type of leukemia in adults. It has an average incidence of 2.7 per 100,000 people in the US and is more common in older men. CLL accounts for about 0.8% of all cancers and 30% of leukemias. The neoplastic cells are typically B-cell lymphocytes. Farming exposure and hepatitis C may play a role in etiology. CLL has various genetic abnormalities that affect prognosis. Clinical features include lymphadenopathy, fatigue, infections. Diagnosis requires a sustained lymphocytosis above 5000/uL. Treatment is indicated for symptomatic disease, doubling time under 6 months, or disease complications. Prognostic factors
2. Epidemiology
CLL has an average incidence of 2.7 persons per 100,000
in the United States.
The risk of developing CLL increases progressively with
age and is 2.8 times higher for older men than for older
women. M:F=2:1
This disease accounts for approximately 0.8 percent of
all cancers and nearly 30 percent of all leukemias at any
point in time.
It is the most prevalent adult leukemia in Western
societies.
Generally, the neoplastic lymphocytes are of the B-cell
lineage.
In less than 2 percent of cases, however, the neoplastic
cells are of T-cell origin and are included in the category
T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia.
3. Etiology and Pathogenesis
Farming may play a role
?Hepatitis C
Familial cases described
Mostly idiopathic
Cytogenetics
clonal chromosomal abnormalities are detected in
approximately 50% of CLL patients
the most common clonal abnormalities are:
trisomy 12
structural abnormalities of chromosomes 13, 17 and 11
patients with abnormal karyotypes have a worse
prognosis
4. Clinical Features
More than 25 percent of patients are
asymptomatic at diagnosis (detected due
to non tender lymphadenopathy or an
unexplained absolute lymphocytosis).
Mild symptoms of reduced exercise tolerance,
fatigue, or malaise.
Patients sometimes present with an
exacerbation of another underlying medical
condition, such as pulmonary, cerebrovascular,
or coronary artery disease.
5. Clinical Features
Night sweats and fevers (the so-called B
symptoms) are uncommon and should
prompt evaluation for complicating infectious
disease
Patients with CLL are more prone to viral or
bacterial infections secondary to impaired T-
cell immunity or hypogammaglobulinemia,
respectively.
6. Clinical Features
80 percent of all CLL patients have nontender
lymphadenopathy at diagnosis, most
commonly involving the cervical,
supraclavicular, or axillary lymph nodes.
Upper airway obstruction because of oral-
pharyngeal lymphadenopathy.
Lymphedema of the extremities is rare, even
in the setting of massive axillary and cervical
adenopathy, and superior vena cava
obstruction is uncommon.
7. Clinical Features
Large retroperitoneal adenopathy can result
in ureteral obstruction and hydronephrosis.
Rarely, patients may develop periportal
lymph node enlargement that results in
biliary tract obstruction.
Splenomegaly may cause early satiety and/or
abdominal fullness.
8. Clinical Features
Renal involvement uncommon
Retroorbital involvement may lead to
proptosis.
Constrictive pericarditis
Leukemic infiltration of pleura causing
hemorrhagic or chylous effusions.
GI ulceration/bleeding
CNS involvement
9. Clinical Features
Chronic rhinitis secondary to nasal
involvement of CLL cells
Sensorimotor polyneuropathy associated
with IgM antibody to various
gangliosidespatients Patients may note
exaggerated responses to insect bites,
particularly to those of mosquitoes
Weight loss, recurrent infections, bleeding
secondary to thrombocytopenia, and/or
symptomatic anemia.
10. Lab Evaluation
The diagnosis of CLL requires a sustained
monoclonal lymphocytosis greater than 5000/μL (5
× 109/L).
Clonal expansion of B (99%) orT(1%) lymphocyte
In B-cell CLL clonality is confirmed by
the expression of either or light chains on the cell surface
membrane
the presence of unique idiotypic specificities on the immunoglobulins
produced by CLL cells
by immunoglobulin gene rearrangements
typical B-cell CLL are unique in being CD19+ and CD5+
10 - 25% of patients with CLL develop
autoimmune hemolytic anemia, with a positive
direct Coombs’ test
The marrow aspirates shows greater than 30%
of the nucleated cells as being lymphoid
11.
12.
13. Protein Electrophoresis
The most common finding on serum protein
electrophoreses is hypogammaglobulinemia.
Reduction in the serum levels of IgM precedes
that of IgG and IgA.
The degree of hypogammaglobulinemia
correlates loosely with clinical stage.
5 percent of patients have a serum
monoclonal immunoglobulin paraprotein.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18. Prognosis: histologic bone marrow
patterns
The different bone marrow patterns probably reflect
variations in amount of lymphoid accumulation during
the natural course of the disease
Interstitial
(low risk)
Diffuse
(high risk)
Nodular
(low risk)
CourtesyofRandyGascoyne,MD.
1.MontserratE, et al. Cancer.1984;54:447-451.
24. Table 94–2. RAI Clinical Staging System
*Survival data updated as per Wierda et al.
Revised Staging System Original Staging System
Clinical Features at
Diagnosis
Median Survival,Years*
Low risk 0 Blood and marrow
lymphocytosis
12
I Lymphocytosis and
enlarged lymph nodes
11
Intermediate risk II Lymphocytosis and
enlarged spleen and/or
liver
8
High risk III Lymphocytosis and
anemia (hemoglobin
below 11 g/dL)
5
IV Lymphocytosis and
thrombocytopenia
(platelets below
100,000/μL)
7
25. Table 94–3. Binet Clinical Staging System
Stage Clinical Features at Diagnosis Median Survival,Years*
A Blood and marrow lymphocytosis
and less than 3 areasof palpable
lymphoid-tissue enlargement
12
B Blood and marrow lymphocytosis
and 3 or more areas of palpable
lymphoid-tissue enlargement
9
C Same as B with anemia (hemoglobin
below 11 g/dL in men or 10 g/dL in
women) or thrombocytopenia
(platelets less than
100,000/μL)
7
35. Prognosis with serum markers: the effect of
2-microglobulin on survival in untreated CLL
Pts Died 2M
445 53 <2.1
429 95 2.1-3.0
183 53 3.1-4.0
175 67 >4.0
Effectof 2-microglobulinon survival in untreatedCLL
Years
Proportionsurviving
160 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
1.0
18
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.0
0.2
1.KeatingM. Unpublisheddata.
2.HallekM, etal. LeukLymphoma.1996;22:439-447.
3.SarfatiM, etal.Blood.1996;88:4259-4264.
4.FayadL,etal.Blood.2001;97:256-263.
36. Table 94–4. Indications for Therapy in CLL
Anemia
Thrombocytopenia
Disease-related symptoms
Markedly enlarged or painful spleen
Symptomatic lymphadenopathy
Blood lymphocyte count doubling time <6
months
Prolymphocytic transformation
Richter transformation
(a) evidence of progressive
marrow failure causing
worsening anemia and/or
thrombocytopenia;
(b) massive or progressive
lymphadenopathy; or
(c) massive (i.e., >6 cm below
the left costal margin) or
progressive splenomegaly
(d) progressive lymphocytosis
with an increase of greater than
50 percent over a 2-month
period, or LDT of less than 6
months;
(e) intractable autoimmune
anemia and/or
thrombocytopenia
37. Indications for Therapy in CLL
(f) Symptomatic disease
(1) unintentional weight loss greater than or
equal to 10 percent within the previous 6
months,
(2) significant fatigue (i.e., Eastern Cooperative
Oncology Group performance status of ⩾2;
inability to work or perform usual activities),
(3) fevers greater than or equal to 38.0° C for 2 or
more weeks without other evidence of infection,
or
(4) night sweats for 1 or more months without
evidence of infection.