CLL Diagnosis - The Top 5 Things You Need to Know

Posted: Jan 26, 2023

HealthTree Programs

Lydia Scarfò, MD, with the Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milano, Italy shares the top five things a newly diagnosed CLL patient needs to know.

CLL does not always require treatment.
If a patient does require treatment, there are new non-chemo targeted agent therapies that are very effective and well tolerated to manage CLL.
It is very important for the patient to follow a healthy lifestyle to help protect their immune system.
Patients are strongly encouraged to get vaccinated due to they are at a higher risk of infection.
Get a yearly dermatologist checkup to screen for skin cancer. CLL patients are at a higher risk of skin cancer tumors. Frequent checkups can help catch skin tumors early on and be removed in an outpatient clinic.

Lydia Scarfò, MD, with the Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milano, Italy shares the top five things a newly diagnosed CLL patient needs to know.

CLL does not always require treatment.
If a patient does require treatment, there are new non-chemo targeted agent therapies that are very effective and well tolerated to manage CLL.
It is very important for the patient to follow a healthy lifestyle to help protect their immune system.
Patients are strongly encouraged to get vaccinated due to they are at a higher risk of infection.
Get a yearly dermatologist checkup to screen for skin cancer. CLL patients are at a higher risk of skin cancer tumors. Frequent checkups can help catch skin tumors early on and be removed in an outpatient clinic.

about the author
Megan Heaps

Megan joined HealthTree in 2022. She enjoys helping patients and their care partners understand the various aspects of the cancer. This understanding enables them to better advocate for themselves and improve their treatment outcomes.