Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia at 20x Magnification
In the United States, more than 17,000 cases of chronic lymphocytic leukemia are diagnosed annually. Males are about twice as likely to develop this type of leukemia as females. Other risk factors for the disease include being middle-aged or older, Caucasian, or related to Russian Jews or Eastern European Jews. A family history of the disease also increases the likelihood that an individual will develop chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Unlike other leukemias, chronic lymphocytic leukemia does not appear to be related to overexposure to benzene or radiation.