CLL leukemia: Just diagnosed, what can be done?

Posted by kegraves @kegraves, Jun 6, 2022

Husband 84 just diagnosed with CLL,
Is this common in older people and what things are done to stop from progressing?? We are new to this site and this diagnosis..

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@5gk

Hello everyone. I was diagnosed Nov. 2021 after a routine exam. No symptoms. What a shock that was. That was before getting any Covid vaccinations.
I think it's only natural to try to answer the "Why, what did I do wrong?" question. My research indicates CLL is caused by either a genetic predisposition (parents who had cll) or environmental influences (exposure to benzene, for example). Benzene is present in everyday products i.e. cosmetics, nail polish, some household aerosols, hairsprays- basically, it's used as a propellant in aerosols. So, one must consider exhaust, gasoline & diesel...as a child, car exhaust always made me feel so ill. It still does. Add to this stresses like job, family, grieving 7 members over 3 years, then covid fears and isolation...So, I think exposures over a lifetime added up to cll for me. It all damages our genetic structure. Our B cells. Part of our white cells. Our white cells fight infection. Once one cell goes unchecked by our immune system, the duplication of these cells begins. Cancer hides itself from our immune system. That's how it duplicates itself. These cells are damaged however, so they don't fight infection anymore. They just take up space until they crowd out our healthy cells. Fortunately, we now have BTK inhibitors ( Ibutinib, Acalabutinib, Zanubrutinib) and BCL2 ( Venetoclax) Ptki's, and numerous newer drugs in these classes and more in development in studies. Thankfully, our cll grows slowly. There is great hope that we will live normal lifespans. So I'm focusing on a healthy lifestyle and learning all I can about this to be my own advocate for the best care I can find. This is watch and wait or active monitoring.

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@5gk I feel the same ; always thinking i have done the right thing over my 62 years; eating well; exercising; etc...i was diagnised with CLL/SLL Jan 2023; discovered during a mammogram; CT; PET: MRI scans; blood work; omg; such a worry; what does all 4 quadrants mean?

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@tatayababa

@5gk I feel the same ; always thinking i have done the right thing over my 62 years; eating well; exercising; etc...i was diagnised with CLL/SLL Jan 2023; discovered during a mammogram; CT; PET: MRI scans; blood work; omg; such a worry; what does all 4 quadrants mean?

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If you're speaking about abdominal studies, imagine yours as being divided in 4 sections i.e., upper right and left and right and left lower sections.

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@tatayababa

@5gk I feel the same ; always thinking i have done the right thing over my 62 years; eating well; exercising; etc...i was diagnised with CLL/SLL Jan 2023; discovered during a mammogram; CT; PET: MRI scans; blood work; omg; such a worry; what does all 4 quadrants mean?

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I’m actually CLL lymphoma not leukemia but 4 quadrants is both armpits both sides groin and neck. Was discovered 8 weeks after second vaccine during a mammogram. Previous had no lumps anywhere but swollen up after vaccines.

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@elissams143

I’m actually CLL lymphoma not leukemia but 4 quadrants is both armpits both sides groin and neck. Was discovered 8 weeks after second vaccine during a mammogram. Previous had no lumps anywhere but swollen up after vaccines.

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@elissams143 heres my concern; i was told by hematologist CLL and SLL are the same thing? i don't understand how but thats what i was told; according to quadrants; i have both armpits involved; groin areas clear. im wondering if the vaccines could have caused this?

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@tatayababa

@elissams143 heres my concern; i was told by hematologist CLL and SLL are the same thing? i don't understand how but thats what i was told; according to quadrants; i have both armpits involved; groin areas clear. im wondering if the vaccines could have caused this?

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That’s exactly my concern as well. No one seems to have answers for it - yet. All too new. Are you in a wait and see as well? Did you have a biopsy done? I was told it could be 5 years til I may need treatment.

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@elissams143

That’s exactly my concern as well. No one seems to have answers for it - yet. All too new. Are you in a wait and see as well? Did you have a biopsy done? I was told it could be 5 years til I may need treatment.

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@elissams143 I had a right lymph node biopsy in jan/23 giving me the CLL/SLL diagnosis; im guessing as they are both blood diseases? who knows....i am wait and see club as well; wonder why doctor thinks 5 years? my hematologist didn't go down that road with me; not sure why; are you showing any symptoms? other than lymph nodes thats it for me.

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@tatayababa

@elissams143 I had a right lymph node biopsy in jan/23 giving me the CLL/SLL diagnosis; im guessing as they are both blood diseases? who knows....i am wait and see club as well; wonder why doctor thinks 5 years? my hematologist didn't go down that road with me; not sure why; are you showing any symptoms? other than lymph nodes thats it for me.

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No real symptoms yet, more night sweats, and sweaty palms, and face flushing. I’m 70 so maybe beyond menopause hot flashes but that’s basically it. No other symptoms yet. It’s weird to just be waiting. They said when lymph nodes are 10mm then they will start treatment too, or if an organ becomes involved, or I exhibit more symptoms . Biggest lymph node was removed in a biopsy from groin 2 yrs ago. It was 2.7mm. I can find no real difference in CLL and SLL either when I read about it. Just 6 month check ups, blood work, ct scans. I’ve seen 3 different drs as well. All say the same thing.

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Hello everyone.
I was recently diagnosed with cll. I also have thyroid cancer and renal cell carcinoma. All this within the last three years. As you could imagine life has been very difficult for me and I’m beginning to lose hope. Right now I’m very weak so if you would read my story at go fund me ( you don’t have to donate) I could use a few words of encouragement or anything. My family doesn’t even believe that I have cancer. Maybe they don’t want to accept the fact. I have four brothers and two sisters, none of which have cancer. Lucky me. The doctors want to take my left kidney. I can’t do it. I just can’t. When does it end? I don’t mean to be such a downer, but one can only take so much. My apologies. Maybe I’ll write again sometime. I hope all of you do well with your treatment and fight this terrible disease with everything you have and I’ll be rooting for every single one of you. Thank you for reading this. ~ Barbara Megara

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@bmegara

Hello everyone.
I was recently diagnosed with cll. I also have thyroid cancer and renal cell carcinoma. All this within the last three years. As you could imagine life has been very difficult for me and I’m beginning to lose hope. Right now I’m very weak so if you would read my story at go fund me ( you don’t have to donate) I could use a few words of encouragement or anything. My family doesn’t even believe that I have cancer. Maybe they don’t want to accept the fact. I have four brothers and two sisters, none of which have cancer. Lucky me. The doctors want to take my left kidney. I can’t do it. I just can’t. When does it end? I don’t mean to be such a downer, but one can only take so much. My apologies. Maybe I’ll write again sometime. I hope all of you do well with your treatment and fight this terrible disease with everything you have and I’ll be rooting for every single one of you. Thank you for reading this. ~ Barbara Megara

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Hello Barbara, Wish I could reach through this computer and give you a hug! You’ve been through heck and back the past 3 years…I know that feeling of trying to hold your head above water when it just keeps pouring! And my goodness, don’t apologize for being a downer…when you’re tired and weak it’s so difficult to feel positive! You’re feeling you’re at the end of the line of hope right now, but I want to toss you a life line.
Please don’t give up hope. I have to share my moment when I thought I had reached the end. My night nurse came in to check my vitals and puff my pillow. I felt I was in my final hours and made peace with the fact that I’d not wake up. When he was finished with his routine, he came over to the bed again and ducked down to give me a hug…he then whispered in my ear. “The only thing stronger than fear is hope.”
I couldn’t speak but I was able to make tears run down my cheek. That moment impacted me so strongly! I felt electricity inside and this sense of needing to push forward. That was a turning point for me. I want you to feel that sense, that spirit of endurance, so that you push through this for you and your family!

As for your family not believing you have cancer? Well, Barbara, because you’ve joined us on Connect, you’ve just gained an entirely new family. So many of us have had cancers and have lived to share our stories and are here to offer encouragement and support…unconditionally!

Let’s look at each one of these events that want to take you on. They don’t know who they’re messing around with! You can take control and be an ‘over-comer’!
The newest, CLL is generally a very slowly developing situation so that one can go on the back burner for a while and simmer.
But tell me about your thyroid cancer and the renal cell carcinoma?
What treatment have you received for your thyroid? Did you have your thyroid removed?

A positive note is that we were blessed with two kidneys and people live quite well with one. What has your doctor said about the removal and the positive outcome of having that done? Does your doctor feel the cancer is limited to that one kidney?

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Greetings. Appreciate having this forum for comment and assistance. My initial CLL diagnosis was in 2014 when I was treated with Mabthera which affected my leg veins. I am 82. Started treatment again in January 2022 and resumed Mabthera treatment and now have peripheral neuropathy (feet/toes numb). My recent CT scan reveals there is interval increase in size of the conglomerate, large mesenteric nodal mass complex in the central abdomen. Pathological inguinal lymph adenopathy. Oncologist has delayed further treatment until July 2023. Would appreciate any comment or advice as to possible treatment . Thank you!

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