Fugitive diamond trader Mehul Choksi - arrested in Belgium on India’s extradition request over his alleged involvement in a multi-crore loan fraud case, is suffering from chronic lymphocytic leukaemia—a kind of blood cancer.

According to experts, chronic lymphocytic leukemia affects your blood and bone marrow - specifically involving an increase in the number of lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. It often progresses slowly and can be life-threatening. Choksi, said to be living in Antwerp with his wife, Preeti is said to have been arrested by the Belgian Federal Public Service of Justice last week and is currently being held in detention on India's extradition request. The 65-year-old was reportedly planning to move to Switzerland for treatment at a well-known cancer hospital, citing medical grounds.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is a type of blood cancer, which is the most common form of leukemia in adults. Doctors say it happens when healthy white blood cells begin to mutate in your bone marrow into cancerous cells that multiply and crowd out healthy blood cells and platelets. The condition typically affects people aged 65 years and older. You can have chronic lymphocytic leukemia without having symptoms and it is mostly diagnosed after having blood tests as part of routine physical examinations.

As of now, there are no routine treatments to cure chronic lymphocytic leukemia. However, in the last decade, treatments have been developed that can put CLL into remission.

Data says chronic lymphocytic leukemia is one of the most common types of leukemia which affects about 5 in 100,000 people globally.

According to doctors, you can have chronic lymphocytic leukemia without symptoms. It may take months to years before you notice CLL symptoms, which include:

Doctors say CLL affects your red blood cells, which leads to anemia and fatigue is a big symptom.

Fever is a sign of infection, as CLL affects healthy white blood cells, which increase your risk of infections.

You can have swelling around your neck, underarms, groin, or stomach.

These can keep you awake at night.

It is the most common cancer symptom.

Doctors say CLL affects your liver or spleen, causing extreme pain.

Experts say chronic lymphocytic leukemia happens when some chromosomes and genes begin to mutate, even though no one knows what triggers these changes. However, there are a few risk factors identified, which include:

Studies show if you have close relatives who have CLL, like a biological parent or siblings, you are two to four times more likely to develop the condition.

On average, most people are over 65 years old when they are diagnosed.

CLL is more common in males.

According to studies, there are links between CLL and Agent Orang a chemical used during the Vietnam War.

This condition makes you have a higher-than-normal number of identical B-cells in your blood.

Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Health and around the world.