Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma (SLL), and Hairy Cell Leukemia all start in the same B-cells that glyphosate damages — and all are accepted in the federal Roundup MDL. If you used Roundup and were diagnosed with one of these leukemias, you may have a powerful claim against Monsanto and Bayer.
CLL is the most common adult leukemia in the United States — and a B-cell cancer at heart. It and its lymph-node twin SLL, along with Hairy Cell Leukemia, are the leukemias most consistently accepted in Roundup litigation.
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) is a slow-growing cancer in which abnormal B-cell lymphocytes accumulate in the bone marrow, peripheral blood, and lymphoid tissue. The American Cancer Society estimates more than 20,000 Americans are diagnosed with CLL each year, making it the most common leukemia in adults in the U.S. Many patients are diagnosed during routine bloodwork, often after being told their lymphocyte count is "elevated."
CLL and Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma (SLL) are now considered the same disease — just different presentations. CLL is named when the malignant cells circulate in the blood; SLL is named when they accumulate primarily in lymph nodes. Both qualify under the same Roundup case theory.
Painless lymph node enlargement (neck, armpit, groin)
Persistent fatigue and weakness
Recurrent infections
Easy bruising or bleeding (low platelets)
Drenching night sweats and unexplained weight loss
Splenomegaly (enlarged spleen) causing abdominal fullness or pain
A rare, slow-growing B-cell leukemia named for the hair-like projections seen on the abnormal cells under a microscope. Hairy Cell Leukemia is strongly responsive to purine analog therapy (cladribine, pentostatin) and is recognized in the Roundup MDL.
The strongest scientific link to glyphosate is in the lymphoid lineages — CLL/SLL and Hairy Cell Leukemia. Other leukemias (AML, ALL, CML) have a less consistent record in Roundup litigation, but if you used Roundup and were diagnosed with any leukemia, we will evaluate the case on the medical record.
Why The Subtype Matters
Leukemia diagnosis depends on flow cytometry, peripheral blood smear, bone marrow biopsy, FISH, and molecular studies. Herb Borroto, M.D., J.D., reviews these reports personally to confirm whether your diagnosis fits a Roundup-linked subtype.
CLL, SLL, and Hairy Cell Leukemia all start in B lymphocytes — the same cells that glyphosate damages through oxidative stress and DNA strand breaks. That shared mechanism is why these leukemias appear alongside Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas in the IARC monograph and in the federal Roundup MDL.
Glyphosate and the surfactants in Roundup generate reactive oxygen species that damage DNA in lymphocytes — the precursor to the genetic changes that drive CLL.
The 2015 IARC monograph specifically cited B-cell lymphoid malignancies, including CLL and Hairy Cell Leukemia, in support of glyphosate's "probably carcinogenic to humans" classification.
Multiple agricultural worker cohort studies have shown elevated rates of CLL and Hairy Cell Leukemia in farmers and applicators with cumulative glyphosate exposure.
A confirmed diagnosis on bloodwork, flow cytometry, or bone marrow biopsy. Other leukemia subtypes can also be evaluated.
Regular occupational or residential Roundup use — farmers, landscapers, groundskeepers, golf-course staff, applicators, or homeowners who sprayed regularly.
Most states give 2 to 4 years from diagnosis. Wrongful death deadlines may be shorter. Contact us promptly.
If a loved one used Roundup and died from a Roundup-linked leukemia, surviving family members may bring a wrongful death claim.
Herb Borroto reviews flow cytometry and bone marrow reports as a physician. Free, confidential, no obligation.
Get Your Free Case ReviewChronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma (SLL — the lymph-node form of CLL), and Hairy Cell Leukemia have the strongest record in Roundup litigation, all reflecting the B-cell biology that glyphosate damages. Other leukemias (AML, ALL, CML) have a less consistent record but can be evaluated on the medical record. Herb Borroto, M.D., J.D., reviews flow cytometry and bone marrow reports personally.
Yes. CLL and SLL are now considered the same disease — different presentations. CLL is named when the malignant B-cells circulate in the blood; SLL is named when they accumulate primarily in lymph nodes. Both qualify under the same Roundup case theory and the same medical-legal review.
Yes. Hairy Cell Leukemia is a rare B-cell leukemia named for the hair-like projections seen on the abnormal cells under a microscope. It is recognized in the federal Roundup MDL and is highly responsive to purine analog therapy (cladribine, pentostatin) — but the case is built on the diagnosis and the exposure, not on treatment outcomes.
Yes. Many CLL patients are managed with watchful waiting before treatment is required. The lawsuit is built on the diagnosis itself, the impact on the patient's life and decisions, and the long-term cost and uncertainty — not solely on whether chemotherapy has started.
Most leukemia cases against Monsanto are framed as failure-to-warn — that Monsanto should have warned consumers. The Alvarez Law Firm pursues failure-to-warn claims, but our lead theory is strict product liability: that Roundup, as designed, is unreasonably dangerous and caused the leukemia regardless of what the label said. The same defective-product framework drove our $100M+ tobacco recoveries.
Other Roundup-linked cancers, our defective-product strategy, and the trial team behind every case.
The cancer most strongly tied to Roundup. Who qualifies, NHL subtypes, and filing deadlines.
DLBCL, Follicular, Marginal Zone, Mantle Cell — the B-cell subtypes Monsanto pays for.
Plasma cell cancers in farmers and applicators — the agricultural exposure link.
The defective-product framework that drove our $100M+ tobacco recoveries — applied to Monsanto.
Alex Alvarez, Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer — and Herb Borroto, M.D., J.D.
CLL, SLL, and Hairy Cell Leukemia are all built on the same B-cell biology that glyphosate damages. We attack the case under strict product liability — the same defective-product framework that has driven our $100M+ tobacco recoveries.
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All factual claims on this page about CLL, SLL, Hairy Cell Leukemia, glyphosate, and Roundup litigation are supported by the following authoritative primary sources.
External references for educational purposes only. Citation does not imply endorsement of this firm by the cited organizations.