Diagnosing and Treating Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
Chronic Myeloid Leukemia is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow. Learn more about the symptoms and treatment of CML.
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Transcript: Diagnosing and Treating Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
Healthy Blood Production
Inside the hollow area of the bones is a spongy core called bone marrow. It is here where stem cells are produced. Stem cells are immature cells that can develop into components of blood - red blood cells (which carry oxygen to the body), white blood cells or lymphocytes (which fight infection) and platelets (which help blood to clot).What Is Chronic Myeloid Leukemia?
Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) is a cancer of the blood cells in the blood and bone marrow. CML develops from an acquired genetic abnormality.During cell division some of the DNA from chromosome 9 is transferred to chromosome 22. This change is called the Philadelphia Chromosome. When this abnormality occurs, the body signals to many stem cells to develop into a type of white blood cell, called a granulocyte. Some of these granulocytes never mature. The immature granulocytes are called blasts.
As the cancerous granulocytes and blasts multiply in the blood and bone marrow, fewer healthy white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets are produced.
Chronic Myeloid Leukemia in the Spleen
Since the spleen also produces white blood cells, the cancerous cells can also develop in the spleen. Chronic Myeloid Leukemia develops slowly.Symptoms of CML
Common symptoms are anemia, weight loss, fever and an enlarged spleen.Treatment of Chronic Myloid Leukemia
The current forms of treatment for patients with CML include chemotherapy, radiation, stem-cell transplantation and surgery to remove the spleen. Prognosis relies on a number of factors, such as stage of disease as well as age and overall health of the patient.Your doctor is the best source of information for treatment of your condition. It's important to talk to your doctor about which therapy, if any, is most appropriate for you.
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