Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and other Chronic Lymphoid Leukemias

The chronic lymphoid leukemias are a group of generally indolent B cell malignancies that include chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), prolymphocytic leukemia, hairy cell leukemia, and large granular lymphocyte leukemia. The unique aspects of diagnosis and management for each condition are discussed separately, with the primary focus being on CLL, the most common form of leukemia in most Western countries. Charts show the percentages of CLL patients’ survival divided into Rai risk category, treatment-free survival, and overall survival, and an algorithm displays approaches to selecting therapy for CLL patients. Tables list how CLL and other B cell lymphoproliferative disorders can be distinguished using immunophenotyping, chromosome categories by fluorescence in situ hybridization for predicting CLL patient survival, criteria indications for the initiation of therapy from the International Workshop on CLL and the National Cancer Institute CLL Working Group, and criteria for high-risk CLL disease. This review contains ­4 highly rendered figures, 4 tables, and 172 references.