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.