Leukemias are cancers of the blood cells. Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is an uncommon type of cancer of the bone marrow, which produces blood cells. "Myelogenous" refers to the type of blood cells this leukemia affects.
"Chronic" means this cancer is more slowly progressing than other severe forms of leukemia. CML is a genetic problem that causes overproduction of a protein that allows some blood cells to grow out of control. But the gene change that causes CML is not hereditary.
Parents do not pass the gene to their children. According to the American Cancer Society, nearly 9,000 people are diagnosed with CML each year in the U.S.
This type of leukemia typically affects older adult males, but both men and women can be diagnosed with CML. It is rarely seen in children. Some people with CML may experience symptoms such as bone pain, bleeding easily and feeling full after eating a small amount.
But many people do not have symptoms until later stages. It is diagnosed with a blood test. People first diagnosed with CML will likely begin targeted treatment to eliminate blood cells that are overproducing a protein called tyrosine kinase .
Medications called tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are first-line treatments. Each medication has its own side effects, such as swelling or nausea, that differ for each patient and are discussed in the early stages of choosing treatment. At later stages, other treatments may include chemotherapy or a bone marrow transplant.
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