Leukemia Active Surveillance
People with chronic lymphocytic leukemia who do not have symptoms may be able to put off having cancer treatment. By delaying treatment, they can avoid the side effects of treatment until they have symptoms.
If you and your doctor agree that watchful waiting is a good idea, you'll have regular checkups (such as every 3 months). You can start treatment if symptoms occur.
Although watchful waiting avoids or delays the side effects of cancer treatment, this choice has risks. It may reduce the chance to control leukemia before it gets worse.
You may decide against watchful waiting if you don't want to live with an untreated leukemia. Some people choose to treat the cancer right away.
If you choose watchful waiting but grow concerned later, you should discuss your feelings with your doctor. A different approach is nearly always available.
You may want to ask your doctor these questions before choosing watchful waiting:
- If I choose watchful waiting, can I change my mind later on?
- Will the leukemia be harder to treat later?
- How often will I have checkups?
- Between checkups, what problems should I report?
