A new study conducted by Maryland’s National Cancer Institute finds a connection between the excessive presence of some cells, called monoclonal B cells, and the early signs of a form of leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The presence of too many B-cells of this type signals an increased risk of CLL, a type of blood cancer.

U.S. researchers looked at blood samples take from 45 people who were later diagnosed with CLL and found that these cells were present in their blood in high number. The participants were cancer free when they participated in a national cancer screening trail that included more than 77,000 people.

The results of the study indicate that MBL – a condition in which B-cells in the blood have outer surface proteins similar to proteins found on CLL cells – is present in virtually all of CLL patients before the development of leukemia.

A better understanding of the connections between MBL and future hematologic diseases could open new doors to the detection, treatment and prevention of B-cell lymphoid cancers, the authors note in an accompanying editorial.

CLL, the most common type of leukaemia, affects about 15,000 Americans each year and kills 4,500, according to statistics. The condition is a slowly progressing blood and bone marrow disease. In time, the CLL cells multiply and replace normal lymphocytes in the marrow and lymph nodes. CLL signs and symptoms usually develop slowly. Some patients may not experience any symptoms in the early stages of the disease.

The study is published in the Feb. 12 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.