In patients who have early-stage, low-risk CLL, physicians may defer treatment until signs of the disease develop, which can happen years after the initial diagnosis.
For patients in whom symptoms have begun to appear and for high-risk patients, treatment options may include combination chemotherapy.
A stem cell transplant may be an option for some CLL patients with high-risk disease. The effectiveness of high-dose chemotherapy combined with transplantation for these patients is under study in clinical trials.
In a transplant, hematopoietic stem cells -- blood-forming cells -- are filtered from the patient's (autologous transplantation) or a donor's (allogeneic transplantation) marrow or bloodstream and then stored. The patient then receives a high dose of chemotherapy or radiation therapy, which destroys tumor cells but also damages the stem cells in the patient's bone marrow. The harvested stem cells are then reinfused to help rebuild the patient's immune system.
For more detailed information about Memorial Sloan-Kettering's transplant services and clinical research, please visit Blood & Marrow Stem Cell Transplantation.
