Time from the first cancer cell to first symptoms?

[mantana]

Most of us learnt about CLL suspicion after a blood check which showed elevated white blood cell counts.

It was also the case with me: in September 2019, my WBC in a routine blood checks were higher than expected. A previous blood check, in December 2018, was showing normal ranges.

How long was the cancer in me already, I've asked myself? Was the first cancer cell in me already in December 2018? Perhaps in June 2019, or May 2014? Was my body producing, and then killing, some cancer cells all the time, but at some point it spiraled out of control?

I'm not able to find any research data which would show "time from the very first cancer cell to symptoms". Is there such a thing?

[lankisterguy Volunteer]

Hi mantana,

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You have certainly asked some intriguing questions since you joined us from Japan 10 days ago. healthunlocked.com/user/man...

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Although I have no medical training, I suspect that a CLL expert doctor like Dr Michael Hallek in Germany might agree with your question: "Was my body producing, and then killing, some cancer cells all the time, but at some point it spiraled out of control?"

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The published research points to poorly understood, very complex events in our immune systems that allow mutant/cancerous Lyphocyte cells to avoid being destroyed. These changes or problems occur more often as we age, and seem to "exhaust" the T-cells that should be cleaning up bad copies of our B-cells.

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You may want to start with reading some of the educational information like the Pinned Post "CLL for dummies" healthunlocked.com/cllsuppo...

Or here: cllsociety.org/cll-101/

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Len

[seelel]

A percentage of patients will experience no physical symptoms. Their CLL journey is one of numbers on paper and without treatment.

[May1270]

I was diagnosed in 2016 through routine bloodwork, but because my doctor was terminally ill, that diagnosis wasn’t communicated to me. I was sent to a hematologist because my yearly checkup with her PA showed elevated white count in 3 different tests. The hematologist told me I was fine and sent me home. Three hours later I got a call that said I needed to come back to see him that same day. The doctor had found my diagnosis from a year earlier! I said all that to say that the diagnosis was in some ways a relief. I knew that what was going on in my body was more than getting older. I have learned to adjust my expectations, and I have two good doctors. One doctor is a OU Stephenson Cancer Center which is two hours from my home. I also see a specialist at MD Anderson, which is 6 hours from home. Finding a specialist (there are none in OK) made me feel much more secure.

[Tton46 in reply to May1270]

I am from Oklahoma as well, seeing Dr. Burger at MDA, 8 hrs for me but well worth the drive!

[bennevisplace]

I think it's widely accepted that, as you suggest, the body is producing "cancer" cells on a daily basis - cells whose mechanism for regulating cell division has been disabled by one or more mutations. The clinical condition we call cancer arises when the body's immune system fails to eliminate the faulty cell or check its replication and a sufficient number of clones of the original cell accumulate to a detectable level.

More of what precedes mutation here

nature.com/scitable/topicpa...

I don't know of any technology that can determine how long it takes for the original mutation (s) to become detectable in leukaemia.