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Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Treatment (PDQ®)

Patient Version
Last Modified: 11/04/2011

Treatment Options for Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Treatment of refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia may include the following:

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia 1. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site 2.



Glossary Terms

chemotherapy (KEE-moh-THAYR-uh-pee)
Treatment with drugs that kill cancer cells.
chronic lymphocytic leukemia (KRAH-nik LIM-foh-SIH-tik loo-KEE-mee-uh)
An indolent (slow-growing) cancer in which too many immature lymphocytes (white blood cells) are found mostly in the blood and bone marrow. Sometimes, in later stages of the disease, cancer cells are found in the lymph nodes and the disease is called small lymphocytic lymphoma. Also called CLL.
clinical trial (KLIH-nih-kul TRY-ul)
A type of research study that tests how well new medical approaches work in people. These studies test new methods of screening, prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of a disease. Also called clinical study.
refractory cancer (reh-FRAK-tor-ee KAN-ser)
Cancer that does not respond to treatment. The cancer may be resistant at the beginning of treatment or it may become resistant during treatment. Also called resistant cancer.
stem cell transplant (stem sel tranz-plant)
A method of replacing immature blood-forming cells in the bone marrow that have been destroyed by drugs, radiation, or disease. Stem cells are injected into the patient and make healthy blood cells. A stem cell transplant may be autologous (using a patient’s own stem cells that were saved before treatment), allogeneic (using stem cells donated by someone who is not an identical twin), or syngeneic (using stem cells donated by an identical twin).

Table of Links

1http://www.cancer.gov/Search/ClinicalTrialsLink.aspx?Diagnosis=38728&tt=1&a
mp;format=1&cn=1
2http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials