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Behind the night sweating and fatigue: The secret symptoms of chronic lymphocytic leukemia?
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow. This condition causes the bone marrow to produce too many lymphocytes, which is a type of white blood cell. For many patients, there may be no obvious symptoms at the initial diagnosis, but about 5-10% of patients will experience low fever, fatigue, night sweats and unexplained weight loss, which may worsen over time. These discomforts may become more intense as the condition progresses.
CLL is most common in individuals over 65 years of age because the accumulation of gene mutations increases the risk of the disease as they age.
Symptoms and risk factors of chronic lymphocytic leukemia
The specific cause of CLL is not clear, but people with a family history are at a higher risk of developing the disease. In addition, environmental factors may also play a role, such as exposure to certain chemicals or sprayed pesticides. In most diagnostic cases, the diagnosis of CLL is usually dependent on blood tests, which show abnormally increased numbers of mature lymphocytes and globular cells.
Although there is no cure for CLL, most patients can still improve their quality of life through proper treatment options.
Diagnostic and Treatment Options
Diagnosing CLL is usually based on the detection of abnormal B lymphocytes in blood, bone marrow, or lymphatic tissue. The increase in the blood lymphocyte count is often found by chance during routine blood tests. Treatment often becomes necessary when patients develop severe symptoms or show significant blood abnormalities at diagnosis.
Depending on the individual's condition, treatment options may include chemotherapy, immunotherapy and biological therapy, especially treatments for specific genetic variants. The preferred treatments recommended in 2024 include Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors (BTKIs) and B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) inhibitors such as ibrutinib, acarabutinib and venetoc.
"After entering this long treatment process, patients may not only have to face the challenges of physical illness, but also psychologically weak."
Complications of chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Patients with CLL are susceptible to infection, as about 25% of people will show low antibody levels at diagnosis. This can cause their immune system to be unable to effectively fight the disease, thereby increasing the risk of autoimmune-related comorbidities, such as autoimmune hemolytic anemia.
Monitoring and Prevention
Over time, surveillance and early intervention in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia has become crucial. Although the impact of early intervention on the disease has not been confirmed, timely understanding of the patient's condition can effectively reduce the pain. Regular checkups can help doctors understand changes in lymphocytes, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can reduce risks.
Future Outlook
As a leukemia that is most common in the Western world, the future treatment of CLL remains challenging. How to use new targeted therapies to improve patients' quality of life has become the current research focus of the scientific community. Can we find more effective treatment methods in the future so that patients can enjoy a better life?
