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What are the early signs of CML? Can you be diagnosed without knowing it?
Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a type of leukemia that affects the production of white blood cells and is usually discovered without obvious symptoms in the patient. Knowing the early signs of CML is crucial because it can help patients seek medical attention early and receive timely treatment.
What is chronic myeloid leukemia?
CML is a bone marrow cancer characterized by the overgrowth and uncontrolled proliferation of myeloid cells. In this disease, there is an increase in the number of mature granulocytes (such as neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils) and a characteristic genetic mutation, the Philadelphia chromosome. Treatment of this disease mostly relies on targeted drugs, such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors.
Early signs of CML
Most patients (about 90%) are diagnosed during the chronic phase, when there are usually no obvious symptoms. An elevated white blood cell count is often discovered unexpectedly during a routine blood test.
Diagnosis of these asymptomatic patients can be more challenging because they lack clear warning signs.
As the disease progresses, the liver and spleen may become enlarged, causing pain in the left upper abdomen. Continued compression may lead to loss of appetite and weight loss. Additionally, some patients experience mild fevers and night sweats, which are associated with increased metabolism. A minority (<10%) of patients may be diagnosed during the accelerated phase, when common symptoms include hemorrhage, purpura, and skin bruising.
Risk Factors for CML
CML is more common in men than in women, and occurs more frequently in older people, especially those over 65 years old. The higher incidence of CML in populations exposed to ionizing radiation, such as survivors of the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, supports the idea that ionizing radiation is a potential risk factor.
Diagnostic Process
The diagnostic process for CML usually includes detailed blood tests and a bone marrow aspiration. Blood tests usually show a marked increase in the number of granulocytes, particularly basophils and eosinophils. Additionally, genetic testing can check for the presence of the Philadelphia chromosome. For those patients in whom the Philadelphia chromosome is not detected in blood tests, further testing may be needed to confirm the diagnosis.
Timely diagnosis and treatment are crucial to improving the survival rate of CML patients.
Treatment methods
The current mainstream treatment for CML is targeted therapy, especially tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as imatinib. The introduction of this class of drugs has revolutionized the treatment of CML and improved patients' survival rates. Even in the chronic phase, many patients show good quality of life after receiving targeted therapy.
Prognosis and quality of life
With advances in treatment, the prognosis for CML patients has improved significantly. With appropriate treatment, the survival rate of many patients has reached a level similar to that of the general population. This change not only increases survival rates, but also improves patients' quality of life, helping them to lead a near-normal life.
Although significant progress has been made in the prognosis of CML, many people still have difficulty recognizing early symptoms. In this case, were you able to recognize and take the early signs seriously in time to take action?
