Blood Cancers

Chronic Hematologic Cancers

Chronic hematologic cancers develop gradually and often require ongoing monitoring and individualized care. These conditions include chronic leukemias and indolent (or slow-growing) non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL), which may progress slowly but still require expert management to optimize long-term outcomes and minimize complications.

Unlike many acute cancers, some chronic leukemias and indolent NHLs are generally considered long-term, manageable diseases rather than a condition that can be permanently cured with standard treatments. Current therapies are highly effective at controlling the disease and managing the symptoms rather than achieving a cure as many patients can live full, active lives for many years without requiring immediate therapy or intervention.

At the Braman Comprehensive Cancer Center, our care combines advanced diagnostics, targeted therapies, and access to innovative clinical trials help patients achieve durable remissions, effectively manage their symptoms, and maintain the highest possible quality of life.

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common type of adult leukemia in the United States, with around 21,000 new cases diagnosed annually. Classified as both a leukemia and a form of non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL), CLL is a malignancy of B-cell lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. The disease is characterized by a progressive accumulation of mature lymphocytes—monoclonal or genetically identical white blood cells that build up in the blood, bone marrow, and/or lymph nodes. Over time, this accumulation crowds out healthy blood cells and weakens the immune system.

The initial clinical presentation of CLL is highly heterogeneous. While many cases of CLL progress slowly, some patients may present with immediate complications that require urgent intervention such as severe anemia (low hemoglobin), thrombocytopenia (low platelets), and immunosuppression.

Fortunately, modern targeted therapies allow most patients to achieve long-term remission with minimal side effects. Our CLL experts combine groundbreaking research with compassionate, team-based care to deliver personalized treatment plans for every patient.

• Leading Innovation: We actively advance clinical research, shape national practice guidelines, and deliver the latest therapeutic options to our patients.
• Multidisciplinary Expertise: Our team develops individualized treatment plans to achieve deep remissions while minimizing the side effects based on the patient’s characteristics and needs.
• Comprehensive Support: Every patient has access to cutting-edge clinical trials and advanced strategies including for frontline therapy and/or relapsed/refractory cases.

Treatment Approach

Our strategy for treating CLL focuses on precision and maintaining patients’ well-being:

• Targeted therapies block the specific proteins and pathways that leukemia or lymphoma cells rely on to grow and survive.
• Immunotherapies help the body’s immune system recognize and fight cancer more effectively.
• Active surveillance allows some patients to enjoy treatment-free time while maintaining a good quality of life.

Hairy Cell Leukemia (HCL) and HCL Variant

Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) is a rare, slow-growing chronic leukemia affecting B lymphocytes. HCL and HCL variant (HCL-V) are distinct, rare, and chronic splenic B-cell lymphomas/leukemias that partially overlap in how they appear and are diagnosed but differ in genetic basis, prognosis, and management. More than 95% of the patients with HCL have the activating BRAF mutation, V600E. Detection of this mutation is useful in confirming the diagnosis of HCL and determining treatment options.

With hairy cell leukemia, abnormal cells accumulate in the blood, spleen, and bone marrow, which can interfere with the production of normal blood cells and lead to a weakened immune system. Symptoms may include fatigue, shortness of breath, swollen lymph nodes, and frequent infections.

For patients with HCL or HCL-V, our team develops individualized treatment plans that can include chemotherapy or the use of targeted therapies to control the disease while minimizing side effects. These therapies have made it possible for many patients to live nearly normal life spans.

Many important questions still remain unanswered in hairy cell leukemia. More research is needed to elucidate outcomes in specific disease subtypes and complications of the diseases and their therapies. At Mount Sinai, we are part of an international HCL Registry, a critically important tool that enables researchers to study hairy cell leukemia in ways not previously possible given the rarity of the disease. Through the Registry, we cooperate and collaborate with patients, doctors, and institutions around the world to collect HCL patient data. The Registry helps researchers identify new trends in patient outcomes, discover previously unknown complications of the disease, and design clinical trials for new therapies until a cure is discovered.