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Leukemia: Chronic Lymphocytic (CLL)

Definition

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is a type of cancer in which the bone marrow makes too many lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell).

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (also called CLL) is a blood and bone marrow disease that usually gets worse slowly. CLL is the second most common type of leukemia in adults. It often occurs during or after middle age; it rarely occurs in children.

Normally, the body makes blood stem cells (immature cells) that develop into mature blood cells over time. A blood stem cell may become a myeloid stem cell or a lymphoid stem cell. Learn more on the University of Michigan Healthwise Knowledgebase's Chronic lymphocytic leukemia web page.

Getting Diagnosed / Treatment

CLL is treated at the U-M Cancer Center in the Adult Hematology Clinic. Read more about:

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