Abstract:
Background. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common form of adult leukemia
in the western European countries and is characterized by the relentless accumulation of
monoclonal B cells with the appearance of small mature lymphocytes and with a characteristic
immunophenotype. Even with the right treatment, this disease is known to have a variable
course: some patients die within one year after diagnosis while others live for longer than ten
years.