Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia – Symptoms and Causes
Blood Cancer Facts
Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is a slow-growing blood cancer. It starts in the bone marrow and causes the body to make too many white blood cells.
This rare cancer grows more slowly than other types of leukemia. The word “chronic” means just that. “Myelogenous” describes the specific blood cells affected by the disease.
CML mostly affects older adults, though it can happen at any age. Children rarely get this type of cancer. Other names for this condition include chronic myeloid leukemia and chronic granulocytic leukemia.
Signs and Symptoms
Chronic myelogenous leukemia often shows no symptoms and may be found during routine blood tests. However, when symptoms do appear, they can include:
- Bone pain
- Easy bleeding
- Feeling full quickly after eating
- Constant tiredness
- Fever
- Unintended weight loss
- Reduced appetite
- Pain or fullness under the left ribs
- Night sweats
- Blurry vision due to eye bleeding
When to Contact a Healthcare Provider
If you notice any ongoing symptoms that concern you, schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider.
Early detection can lead to better treatment outcomes, so don’t delay seeking medical advice when you experience persistent unusual symptoms.
Why CML Happens
Chromosomes contain the DNA that tells our cells what to do. Normally, humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes. In people with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), parts of chromosomes 9 and 22 swap places.
This swap creates an unusually short chromosome 22 and a longer chromosome 9.
The shortened chromosome 22 is called the Philadelphia chromosome. It gets its name from the city where scientists first found it. About 90% of people with CML have this Philadelphia chromosome in their blood cells.
Creation of an Abnormal Gene
When parts of chromosomes 9 and 22 switch places, they form a new gene called BCR-ABL. This isn’t supposed to happen in healthy cells.
The BCR-ABL gene gives instructions to make too much of a protein called tyrosine kinase. This protein acts like a switch that stays turned on. It tells blood cells to keep growing when they should stop.
Overproduction of Unhealthy Blood Cells
In healthy bone marrow, blood stem cells grow and develop into specialized cells. These include red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
This process follows strict rules about when cells should grow and when they should die.
CML disrupts these rules. The extra tyrosine kinase protein causes too many white blood cells to grow. These unhealthy cells contain the Philadelphia chromosome. They also don’t mature properly and don’t die when they should.
Risk Factors
Several factors may increase your chances of developing chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). These include:
- Age: This condition appears more frequently in older adults.
- Gender: Men have a slightly higher risk compared to women.
- Radiation Exposure: Previous radiation treatments for other cancers may increase risk.
It’s important to understand that CML cannot be prevented. If you develop this condition, it was not caused by anything you did or didn’t do.
Family History Doesn’t Increase Risk
The genetic change that causes chronic myelogenous leukemia is not inherited from parents. Scientists believe this mutation develops after birth, not before. This means if your parent or sibling has CML, your risk isn’t higher than anyone else’s.
The mutation occurs randomly in bone marrow cells during a person’s lifetime.
