Is CLL Hereditary?

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is a type of blood cancer characterized by continuous mutations that lead to an overproduction of cancerous B-cells, a type of white blood cell responsible for making infection-fighting proteins called antibodies. 

When trying to understand how CLL happens, it’s common to ask if the genetic mutations that led to your CLL diagnosis could also affect your closest relatives in the future. It is well established that genes carry our genetic material, which determines features like our eye color, hair texture, and, unfortunately, some diseases. 

To answer the question of “Is CLL an inheritable cancer?” we had the privilege to feature doctor Lydia Scarfò, MD, from the Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele in Milano, Italy, at HealthTree University, where she talked about the chances of inheriting CLL if a family member is diagnosed with it. 

Dr. Scarfò mentioned that first-degree relatives, such as parents, siblings or children, of patients diagnosed with CLL have a higher risk of developing CLL in the future. However, it’s important to consider that CLL is a rare disease. Even for those with a higher genetic risk, the chances of developing CLL are slim. 

Are There Tests to Determine if My Family Members Could Get CLL? 

Doctor Scarfò stated that if parents, siblings, or children of a CLL patient have no signs or symptoms of CLL, there is no clear advantage to getting tested early. This is because CLL patients are only treated if signs and symptoms of CLL are present.

However, there is a test that could analyze the cells from the bone marrow or blood to look for specific genetic abnormalities like: 

• missing chromosomes, specifically 13, 11, and 17 
• an extra copy of chromosome 12
• a swapping of the DNA between chromosomes 12 and 14

There is no evidence that genetic testing for CLL is beneficial for people who have no signs of the condition. However, genetic testing can be useful during the diagnostic process if a doctor suspects CLL.

It is important to acknowledge that research is still needed to demonstrate the risk of inheriting CLL. It is still unclear which genetic changes may be responsible for increasing the risk. 

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