My father is diagnosed with leukemia. Can you help?

Hello doctor,

I went to the hospital for my father's regular check-up. He is 61 years old. His report looks like this: WBC 43000, platelets 120,000 per microliter of blood, and lymphocytes 88 percent.

To get it cross-checked, we went to another laboratory the next day, and here are the counts: WBC: 38000 (reduced by 5000), platelets 1,50,000 per microliter of blood (increased by 30000), and lymphocytes 84 percent (decreased by four percent). I am assuming that this is a good sign, as the WBC count has gone down by 5000 in one single day, and the platelet count has gone up by 30000.

The doctor has recommended chronic lymphocytic leukemia, which is kind of scary. This will take three days to come. My father is physically active and has no medical conditions. He works out as well and walks a lot. I have seen him going up and down the stairs (fifth floor) twice or thrice a day, and he does not feel any weakness.

No smoking or drinking habits. He is a pure vegetarian. No fever or pain. We went for a regular check-up just like that, and that is when this report came up. No history of any such disease in his family tree. Other reports are fine. Doctors did not find any alarming symptoms.

He had gone through angioplasty eight years ago, and since then, he has been visiting his cardiologist every six months but never gotten his blood checked.

Can you please help?

Thank you.

Hello doctor,

Thank you for the reply.

I can see that the hospital took a second sample, and the peripheral smear section was mentioned as follows. RBC: normocytic normochromic with few macrocytes. WBC: marked leukocytosis with lymphoid cell prominence. These lymphoid cells have mature lymphocyte morphology. Smudge cells are seen in the background. Platelets: mild thrombocytopenia. Suggestive of lymphoproliferative neoplasm.

Suggest immunophenotyping and cytogenetics. Currently, as per the doctors' unofficial remarks, they are doing the diagnosis for CLL, and there are strong chances of lymphoma. The CLL test results are going to come in a few days.

1. Can you please explain to someone from a nonmedical background how serious this is?
2. I am going through some articles on leukemia and lymphoma, and they are something that has sent a shiver down my spine. I am hoping that there is some other infection that has caused this. What is the chance it is something like that?

Please help.

Thank you.

Hi doctor,

Thank you for your reply.

We have got the analysis done.

Thank you.

Hi doctor,

Thank you for your reply.

He is diagnosed with CLL Stage A. I am trying to attach the result of cytometry and the doctor's report post-analysis. He says it is in the initial stage, and no treatment is needed.

Every three months, he has to visit the hospital for a WBC count check. Please let me know:

1. Is there nothing that we can do?
2. I have not told my father that he has cancer. Is it incurable, right?
3. Can homeopathy help?

Please help.

Thank you.