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CLL; Leukemia - chronic lymphocytic (CLL)
Patients with CLL have a higher-than-normal white blood cell count.
Tests to diagnose CLL include:
If your doctor discovers you have CLL, tests will be done to see how much the cancer has spread. This is called staging. There are two methods to stage CLL.
There are different ways to stage CLL. One system uses numbers to group CLL into low-, intermediate-, and high-risk categories. Generally, the higher the stage number, the more advanced the cancer. Another system uses letters to stage CLL according to how many lymph node groups are affected and whether or not you have a drop in red blood cells and platelets.
American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts and Figures 2006. Atlanta, Ga: American Cancer Society; 2006.
Abeloff MD, Armitage JO, Niederhuber JE, Kastan MB, McKena WG. Clinical Oncology. 3rd ed. Orlando, Fl: Churchill Livingstone; 2004:2921-2940.