[To treat or not to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemias with a mild course?]

The study is based on a material of 60 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia of mild course with survival over 4 years. The method used was a comparison of the patients treated from the time of diagnosis establishment with the group of similar patients not treated throughout the whole period of follow-up and with another group of patients treated from the time of exacerbation of the proliferative process. The following data were taken into account: survival length, degree of splenomegaly and lymphadenopathy, leucocyte and platelet counts, haemoglobin level, infectious complications. It was demonstrated that cytostatic and/or hormonal treatment started at the time of diagnosis establishment did not prolong the survival. A statistically significant prolongation of survival time was observed, on the other hand, in cases treated from the time of exacerbation. Cytostatic agents increased the risk of infections and the risk of thrombocytopenia.