Hello, and thank you for your post,

I am sorry to learn that you have been diagnosed with Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). This must be a difficult time.

I can appreciate that it can be difficult when you have been given a choice of treatment. Usually, in this situation, there is no difference in terms of the effectiveness of the treatment, and there is no wrong decision. It will often come down to the side effects of the treatment and how you feel you can manage them.

Writing a simple list of advantages and disadvantages of each treatment for some people can be helpful. If you have a nurse specialist, they may be able to talk things through with you their experience of treating patients with the treatment and side effects.

One question that might be helpful to ask is, for example, if you cannot tolerate the treatment that you do choose, whether it will be possible to try another treatment.

Another organisation that offers support to people affected by CLL is the CLL Support charity. They also have a CLL Online Community Forum where you may find support from others who are in a similar situation to you.

You would also be welcome to talk things through with one of our nurses on the helpline. You can call us on 0808 800 4040, and we are available Monday to Friday between 9 am and 5 pm.

Jemma