Lymph nodes and the liver or spleen may be swollen. There are too many lymphocytes in the blood and too few platelets, which make it hard for the blood to clot. Refractory Refractory means that the leukemia does not respond to treatment. Treatment option overview How chronic lymphocytic leukemia is treated There are treatments for all patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Surgery may be used in certain cases.
Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells.
Chemotherapy may be taken by pill, or it may be put into the body by a needle in the vein or muscle. Chemotherapy is called a systemic treatment because the drug enters the bloodstream, travels through the body, and can kill cancer cells throughout the body. If the spleen is swollen, a doctor may take out the spleen in an operation called a splenectomy. This is only done in rare cases. Biological therapy tries to get the body to fight cancer.