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Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

 

 

Phases

There is no standard staging system for CML, instead it is classified into various phases.

The three clinical phases for CML are:

  • Chronic
  • Accelerated
  • Blast

Not all patients transition through all three clinical phases and it depends on chromosome abnormalities.

 

CML phases:

Phase

Characteristics

Chronic
  • <10% blast cells found in blood and bone marrow
  • Neoplastic cells restricted to bone marrow, liver, spleen and peripheral blood
  • Clinically stable for many years

 

Accelerated
  • Increase numbers of blast cells in blood and bone marrow
  • Normal cells decreasing
  • 10-20% blast cells present

 

Blast Crisis
  • >30% blast cells in blood and bone marrow
  • Malignant cells found in bone and lymph nodes
  • Resembles acute myeloid leukemia (2/3 myeloid, 1/3 lymphoid)

 

 


 

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