The two types of chronic leukemia must be discussed separately. In CML, "the leukemia cell that starts the disease makes blood cells (red cells, white cells and platelets) that function almost like normal cells" (Leukemia and Lymphoma, 2010). Moreover, the number of red cells usually declines in CML, which causes anemia (Leukemia and Lymphoma, 2010). CML does not tend to reduce the number of white cells or platelets, and their performance remains somewhat normal, however their counts are high and can continue to rise, causing health complications (Leukemia and Lymphoma, 2010). If white blood counts rise too high, blood flow can slow down, causing severe anemia (Leukemia and Lymphoma, 2010).

In CLL, the leukemia cell makes lymphocytes that do not function properly, instead, "the leukemia cell that starts the disease makes too many lymphocytes that do not function. These cells replace normal cells in the marrow and lymph nodes. They...
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