NOTES
Medical
Description- a rare type of leukemia, or cancer of the blood and blood-forming tissue, in which too many white blood cells are created in the bone marrow. (www.thechildrenshospital.org/wellness/info/parents/65875.aspx)
Inheritance- - Because CML is something you can develop after birth, it is not something you can get from your parents. However, some things that may increase the risk factor of getting CML are as follows: Older age
Being male
Radiation exposure, such as radiation therapy for certain types of cancer
HOw it HAppens! The disease is a result from a chromosomal abnormality that causes a gene mutation. A section of chromosome 9 switches places with a section of chromosome 22, which creates an extra-short chromosome 22 and an extra-long chromosome 9.
The extra-short chromosome 22 is known as the Philadelphia chromosome.
Genes from chromosome 9 combine with genes from chromosome 22 to create a new gene called BCR-ABL. The BCR-ABL gene causes an excess of a protein called tyrosine kinase. Tyrosine kinase allows certain blood cells to grow out of control, which promotes cancer.
The new gene also allows too many diseased blood cells.
It causes too many white blood cells, and most of them contain the abnormal Philadelphia chromosome. The diseased white blood cells reporduce in huge numbers, not giving enough room for healthy blood cells and damaging the bone marrow.
STATISTICS
About 4,800 people are diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia each year
About 21,749 people in the United States are living with CML (SEER, National Cancer Institute, 2008)
DIAGNOSED
To figure out if a persom has CML, blood tests and bone marrow tests must be done. They look for high counts of white blood cells, and low counts of hemoglobin. However, Cytogenetic analysis is also another lab test used to examine the chromosomes of the leukemia cells. This test allows the doctor to find out if the patient's type of leukemia is CML.
SYMPTOMS
The signs and sympotoms of CML are common to other illnesses, and include :
Tiredness
Shortness of breath doing activities
Pale-looking skin
Enlarged spleen
Night sweats
Weight loss
Easy Bleeding
LIFE EXPECTANCY
Considering people can be treated for CML, the only way your life would be affected would be if it wasnt treated; it can be fatal.
TREATMENT
Treatment starts with a drug called Gleevec®. For the most part, Gleevec keeps CML under control for as long as the drug is in use. However, some patients taking Gleevec experience strong side effects or the drug does not work for them.
There are two newer drugs called Sprycel® and Tasigna® which also block the BCR-ABL cancer gene. Gleevec, Sprycel, and Tasigna are all drugs taken by the mouth. However, symptoms can come back once drug use has stopped.
Stem cell transplants (bone marrow transplants) are also sometimes used for patients who have CML, and is the only known cure.
EVERYDAY LIFE
Day-to-day activites can be done by most patients being treated for chronic phase CML because with drug treatment most patients are symptom free for very long periods of time. Someone with CML does not suffer too many limitations, if any.
Cancer Support group: www.cancer.org
Leukemia Support group: www.leukemia.org
