The slow-growing form of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the least serious type of leukemia. It is a disease of older people; the average age at diagnosis is around 71. CLL is a malignancy of mature lymphocytes, which usually grow and divide slowly, resulting in a slowly progressive disease. Most individuals have no symptoms early in the disease and the diagnosis is often made only after finding an increased white blood cell count on a routine blood test. Many people with CLL live for 10-20 years or even longer, and because CLL is usually found in the elderly, many of these individuals will die of an unrelated illness. Because of the generally good prognosis and concerns about the potential side effects of therapy, doctors often use a "watch and wait" approach to individuals with early stage disease, withholding therapy until the disease becomes more severe.
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