Chronic lymphocytic leukemia care at Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic specialists collaborate to create effective, personalized treatment plans.
Mayo Clinic hematologists have extensive experience providing personalized care for people with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Each year, more than 2,700 people with the disease receive care at Mayo Clinic.
Your Mayo Clinic care team
At Mayo Clinic, experts from many specialties work together as a multidisciplinary team. This team approach means you'll receive comprehensive care that takes into account all of your needs and goals.
Your care team is led by a hematologist who specializes in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. A Mayo Clinic study found that people who were cared for by doctors who focus solely on chronic lymphocytic leukemia had longer overall survival than those who were treated by hematologists and oncologists who manage many types of cancers.
Your care team may include:
At Mayo Clinic, hematologists who specialize in chronic lymphocytic leukemia meet regularly to discuss cases. By combining years of experience, this team draws on collective knowledge to be certain that each person with chronic lymphocytic leukemia receives an effective, personalized treatment plan.
Hematologists at Mayo Clinic provide expert care for people with all stages of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
Specialized care for newly diagnosed cancer
Most people diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia don't need treatment right away. At Mayo Clinic, these people are actively cared for using the latest protocols for active surveillance and management of complications.
If your cancer doesn't require immediate treatment, you can expect:
- Regular appointments with a specialist. For most people, Mayo Clinic recommends appointments every 3 to 6 months at first. A chronic lymphocytic leukemia specialist will review your test results with you and discuss your concerns.
- Comprehensive assessment of disease. Mayo Clinic experts use proven laboratory techniques to determine your risk of progression. Your care team will perform a comprehensive assessment of disease evaluation, which uses a combination of laboratory tests and physical examination to determine the risk that you'll need treatment.
- Management of complications. People with chronic lymphocytic leukemia receive the recommended vaccinations to help manage infection risk. Appropriate cancer screenings are used to manage the increased risk of additional types of cancer.
- Clinical trials for early interventions. People who don't require immediate treatment are encouraged to join clinical trials studying early interventions.
Innovative treatments for all stages of disease
Mayo Clinic offers cutting-edge treatment along the entire spectrum of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, including people who are newly diagnosed and require treatment, those for whom other treatments haven't worked, people whose cancer returns after a period of remission, and those with Richter's syndrome.
In addition to established treatments, clinical trials investigating the latest treatments are available for all stages of disease.
Specialists at Mayo Clinic were the first to publish results on the effectiveness of the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda) for people with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and Richter's syndrome.
Mayo Clinic chronic lymphocytic leukemia specialists draw on their experience to provide compassionate and comprehensive care for each person.
Dedication to improving chronic lymphocytic leukemia care
Mayo Clinic hematologists are actively studying new ways to diagnose and treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Examples include:
- Managing a patient database to help doctors track outcomes and detect trends in treatment complications. The chronic lymphocytic leukemia research program has been compiling patient data since 1995, tracking thousands of patients before, during and after treatment.
- Actively participating in clinical trials studying all aspects of this cancer, including early interventions for people with low-risk disease and the latest treatments for newly diagnosed and relapsed disease.
- Investigating cutting-edge treatments including chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy, which takes your germ-fighting T cells, engineers them to attack cancer cells and infuses the cells back into your body.
Expertise and rankings
Mayo Clinic hematologists are respected for their expertise and experience in diagnosing and treating chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
Nationally recognized expertise
Outside organizations regularly recognize Mayo Clinic chronic lymphocytic leukemia specialists through accreditations, grants and rankings, including the following:
- Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center meets the strict standards for a National Cancer Institute comprehensive cancer center, which recognize scientific excellence and a multispecialty approach focused on cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
- Mayo Clinic doctors contribute to and collaborate with colleagues around the world through the Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Research Consortium.
Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, and Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona, are ranked among the Best Hospitals for cancer by U.S. News & World Report.
Locations, travel and lodging
Mayo Clinic has major campuses in Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona; Jacksonville, Florida; and Rochester, Minnesota. The Mayo Clinic Health System has dozens of locations in several states.
For more information on visiting Mayo Clinic, choose your location below:
Costs and insurance
Mayo Clinic works with hundreds of insurance companies and is an in-network provider for millions of people.
In most cases, Mayo Clinic doesn't require a physician referral. Some insurers require referrals or may have additional requirements for certain medical care. All appointments are prioritized on the basis of medical need.
Learn more about appointments at Mayo Clinic.
Please contact your insurance company to verify medical coverage and to obtain any needed authorization prior to your visit. Often, your insurer's customer service number is printed on the back of your insurance card.
Aug. 23, 2024