Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Symptoms
In its early phases, chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma doesn't usually reveal itself with obvious signs. Most people who are diagnosed with CLL/SLL have no symptoms; the disease is found incidentally during a routine blood test.
Symptoms develop when the accumulation of abnormal cells interferes with normal functions of other cells in the body. For many people with CLL/SLL, it may take years for enough abnormal cells to accumulate to cause symptoms. In others, the symptoms may develop over a period of weeks.
The symptoms of CLL/SLL tend to be general in nature and are often attributed to stress or an infection. These include:
• Frequent infections or fevers
• Lethargy and fatigue
• Early feeling of fullness when eating because of spleen enlargement
• Feeling of heaviness in the stomach because of an enlarged spleen
• Loss of appetite or weight
• Night sweats
advertisement
