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Suggest Treatment For High WBC Count And Neck Tightness Inspite Of Having Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
Posted on
Mon, 30 Jun 2014
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Mon, 30 Jun 2014
Answered on
Tue, 22 Jul 2014
Last reviewed on
Question : I am 71 and was diagnosed with CLL a year ago when I had a benign Parotid salivary gland removed. My white blood count was 16,000 now a year later it is a little under 31000. I notice that I have move tightness in my neck area but only on one side. I don't seem to have inflamed nodes anywhere except on the side of my neck just below where the gland was removed. Does thois seem like a normal condition of CLL?
Brief Answer:
May be due to CLL or the biopsy scar.
Detailed Answer:
Hi
Thanks for your query.
You seem to have an indolent form of CLL. The WBC count is not much, though it is rising. Neck tightness may be due to moderately sized nodes but not necessarily inflamed. If the nodes are more on one side then it may cause tightness on that side.
Also, after biopsy, there is scarring in the tissue beneath the skin which causes tightness.
Overall, I would not worry unless the nodes are increasing rapidly.
Hope I have answered your query. I will be available to answer further followup queries, if any.
May be due to CLL or the biopsy scar.
Detailed Answer:
Hi
Thanks for your query.
You seem to have an indolent form of CLL. The WBC count is not much, though it is rising. Neck tightness may be due to moderately sized nodes but not necessarily inflamed. If the nodes are more on one side then it may cause tightness on that side.
Also, after biopsy, there is scarring in the tissue beneath the skin which causes tightness.
Overall, I would not worry unless the nodes are increasing rapidly.
Hope I have answered your query. I will be available to answer further followup queries, if any.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
How would I know if my condition has changed and I might have throat cancer? I guess what I am worried about is that now that I have been diagnosed with CLL does that make me more vulnerable to other cancers?
Brief Answer:
unlikely to be throat cancer
Detailed Answer:
Throat cancer will not cause tightness in the neck, unless it is very advanced. In that case you would have had much more symptoms. So throat cancer is unlikely. Still, to completely rule that out you will need a full ENT checkup. If that turns out to be normal, then nothing to worry.
Though it is true that in the long run, persons with CLL may have increased risk of other cancers, one year is too short for that.
Hope this answers your query.
regards
unlikely to be throat cancer
Detailed Answer:
Throat cancer will not cause tightness in the neck, unless it is very advanced. In that case you would have had much more symptoms. So throat cancer is unlikely. Still, to completely rule that out you will need a full ENT checkup. If that turns out to be normal, then nothing to worry.
Though it is true that in the long run, persons with CLL may have increased risk of other cancers, one year is too short for that.
Hope this answers your query.
regards
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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