Description

Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) is a type of cancer of the bone marrow and blood. It typically progresses slowly and is characterized by the overproduction of white blood cells, especially a type called granulocytes. ⚠️ Symptoms Fatigue Weight loss Night sweats Splenomegaly (enlarged spleen) Fullness in abdomen Anemia Easy bruising or bleeding 🧫 Diagnosis Complete Blood Count (CBC): Elevated white blood cells Bone marrow biopsy Cytogenetic analysis / FISH / PCR to detect the BCR-ABL1 fusion gene 💊 Treatment The mainstay of treatment is Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs): Imatinib (Gleevec) – first-generation TKI Dasatinib, Nilotinib – second-generation TKIs Bosutinib, Ponatinib – used in resistant cases Other treatments: Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (curative but high risk; used in specific situations) Interferon-alpha (rarely used now) Chemotherapy (if in blast crisis) 🧬 Monitoring Regular PCR testing for BCR-ABL1 transcript levels in blood Goal: Achieve Major Molecular Response (MMR) or Complete Molecular Response (CMR)

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