Treatment Outcomes
In recent years, Health Canada has approved new therapies for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Researchers are studying other possible new treatments in clinical trials. Some studies suggest that newer treatment combinations and approaches may improve survival length. Progress toward a cure is under way.
Treatment outcomes are influenced by several factors, including but not limited to:
- the disease's stage
- the presence or lack of certain factors associated with higher-risk disease
- your age
Relative Survival Rate
Relative survival compares (1) how long a person with a disease survives after being diagnosed to (2) how long a person without the disease lives. Survival statistics for CLL are usually reported as five-year survival rates:
In 2006, the last year statistics were available, there were 541 deaths from CLL in Canada.
Statistical Information from: Canadian Cancer Society's Steering Committee: Canadian Cancer Statistics 2010. Toronto: Canadian Cancer Society, 2010.
Treatment Results
Treatment results and outcomes vary among patients. It's also important to understand that the latest five-year survival statistics only reflect rates up to 2006. Recent and ongoing improvements in treatment and care may not be reflected in these rates. Newer treatment therapies, progress in stem cell transplantation, better supportive care and studies of new drugs in clinical trials are all contributing to improved outcomes and quality of life for people diagnosed with blood cancers.
