Understanding Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

A kind of cancer that affects the bone marrow and blood is called chronic granulocytic leukemia (CGL), commonly referred to as chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Granulocytes are a type of white blood cell that have an abnormally high quantity in CGL, especially in the early stages of the disease. The Philadelphia chromosome, a genetic anomaly caused by a reciprocal translocation of chromosomes 9 and 22, is the cause of this overproduction.

The Philadelphia chromosome, which results in the fusion gene BCR-ABL, is the defining characteristic of CGL. This fusion gene leads to the production of a protein with aberrant tyrosine kinase activity, which encourages unchecked cell division and proliferation. Fatigue, weakness, and an elevated risk of bleeding and infection can result from the unregulated expansion of white blood cells, which can push out normal blood cells in the bone marrow and reduce red blood cells and platelets.

Three phases are usually experienced by CGL progression: the chronic period, the accelerated phase, and the explosion phase. Patients may not have any symptoms at all or just have minor ones throughout the chronic period. The condition may progress to the accelerated phase, which is marked by a quicker rise in the white blood cell count and increased symptoms, if treatment is not received. The illness may eventually advance to the blast phase, where immature blast cells multiply quickly and resemble acute leukemia.