Also known as chronic myelogenous, myelocytic, or chronic granulocytic leukemia
Has three phases: Chronic, accelerated and blast
Median age in Asian and African countries is <50 years old
Median age in western countries at presentation is at >50 years old
Definition
A myeloid disorder associated with Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome t(9;22)(q34;q11), a fusion of the breakpoint cluster region (BCR) and Abelson murine leukemia (ABL1) genes
Signs and Symptoms
Systemic symptoms:
Anemia
Abdominal fullness
Abdominal pain that may present with left upper quadrant pain and early satiety
Bleeding episodes due to platelet dysfunction
Fatigue
Malaise
Weight loss
Other frequent findings:
Splenomegaly
Raised platelet count
Increased white blood cell (WBC) count
Involvement of lymph nodes, skin and soft tissue (patients with blast crisis)
Risk Factors
The only known risk factor is exposure to ionizing radiation
