Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is a disease in which a patient's bone marrow creates a surplus of white blood cells. Here, we provide a chronic myelogenous leukemia or CML overview in order for people to be prepared if they or loved ones have been diagnosed. CML is a slowly progressing type of cancer and is one of the few types of leukemia that are rare in children, and more common in middle aged people.

Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia or CML Overview:

In a healthy person, bone marrow creates new immature cells or stem cells, which mature into blood cells. These cells can become lymphoid cells or myeloid cells. Lymphoid cells, meanwhile, are white blood cells. Myeloid cells, once matured, become one of three things:

1.) A red blood cell that carries oxygen for distribution to cells. It also transports carbon dioxide for disposal through the lungs.

2.) A platelet that helps in blood clotting.

3.) A granulocyte, or white blood cell, that stops diseases and infections.

When people have CML, they have an excess number of granulocytes. Furthermore, these cells are abnormal and do not develop into healthy cells, becoming leukemia cells instead. When these build up in both the blood and bone marrow, there ceases to be enough space for platelets, red blood cells, and healthy white blood cells. As a result, patients often suffer from easy bleeding, anemia, and/or infections.

No chronic myelogenous leukemia or CML overview would be complete without signs and symptoms. CML can be asymptomatic for a long time but when the symptoms appear, they include:

  • Tiredness
  • Night sweats
  • Fever
  • Unexplainable weight loss
  • Feeling full or pain underneath the ribs on the left side of your body

Meanwhile, people who have the Philadelphia chromosome, which is a gene mutation, are more likely to develop CML.

The Philadelphia Chromosome:

DNA is found in every single cell of our body, determining how it behaves and looks. DNA is also found inside of chromosomes and, if someone has CML, this DNA moves between different chromosomes. This, in turn, is known as the Philadelphia chromosome and this means that the bone marrow starts to develop the tyrosine kinase enzyme, leading to an increase in stem cells that become blast cells, which are abnormal immature white blood cells, or granulocytes.

Diagnosing CML:

There are a number of tests commonly used for the diagnosis of CML, starting with a physical examination and taking a patient's medical history. Afterwards, a complete blood count that checks for the following things will be performed:

1.) The number of platelets and red blood cells.

2.) The number of white blood cells and their type.

3.) The amount of oxygen carrying protein, hemoglobin.

4.) The proportional representation of red blood cells in the blood.

Other tests are also possible, including:

  • Blood chemistry studies
  • Bone marrow biopsy and aspiration
  • Cytogenic analysis
  • Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)
  • Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction test (RT-PCR)

CML Prognosis:

There are numerous factors that affect the prognosis of someone with CML, including:

  • Their age
  • Which phase of CML they are in
  • How many blasts are found in the bone marrow or blood
  • How large the spleen is when the patients are diagnosed
  • Their overall health