General Information About Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
Disease Details and Frequently Asked Questions
It is the excessive production of faulty white blood cells because stem cells in the bone marrow (myeloid series), which normally turn into red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets, grow out of control.
It is the primary cause of CML. It is a faulty and cancer-causing genetic mutation resulting from the breaking and incorrect swapping (translocation) of the 9th and 22nd chromosomes, which gives cells a 'keep dividing' command.
Fatigue, bone pain, pain under the left rib (fullness due to spleen enlargement), involuntary weight loss, and night sweats.
The disease consists of three stages: the Chronic phase (the slowest, where most patients are diagnosed), the Accelerated phase, and the fatal Blastic crisis phase, which turns into acute leukemia if left untreated.
It is noticed by a very high white blood cell (leukocyte) count in a routine blood test. For a definitive diagnosis, a bone marrow biopsy is taken, and the presence of the Philadelphia chromosome (BCR-ABL gene) is detected in a genetics laboratory.
CML is a disease that has broken ground in cancer treatment. The reproduction of cancerous cells is stopped with daily, oral smart pills called Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs), and patients live a normal lifespan without needing chemotherapy.
Our health library contents are prepared for informational purposes only and with scientific data available at the time of recording. For all your questions, concerns, diagnosis, or treatment regarding your health, please consult your doctor or a healthcare institution.
