Myelocytic leukemia-like syndrome- familial- chronic
Chronic myelocytic (myeloid, myelogenous, granulocytic) leukemia is a disease in which cells that normally would develop into neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils, and monocytes become cancerous. * People pass through a phase in which they have nonspecific symptoms such as tiredness, anorexia, and weight loss. * As the disease progresses, the lymph nodes and spleen enlarge, and people may also be pale and bruise or bleed easily. * Blood tests, bone marrow examination, and chromosome analysis are needed for diagnosis. * Treatment is with imatinib Some Trade Names GLEEVEC or with high doses of chemotherapy drugs followed by stem cell transplantation. Chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML) may affect people of any age and of either sex but is uncommon in children younger than 10 years. The disease most commonly develops in adults between the ages of 40 and 60. The cause usually is a rearrangement of two particular chromosomes into what is called the Philadelphia chromosome. The Philadelphia chromosome produces an abnormal enzyme (tyrosine kinase), which is responsible for the abnormal growth pattern of the white blood cells in CML. In CML, most of the leukemia cells are produced in the bone marrow, but some are produced in the spleen and liver. In contrast to the acute leukemias, in which large numbers of immature white blood cells (blasts) are present, the chronic stage of CML is characterized by marked increases in the numbers of normal-appearing white blood cells and sometimes platelets. During the course of the disease, more and more leukemia cells fill the bone marrow and others enter the bloodstream. Eventually the leukemia cells undergo more changes, and the disease progresses to an accelerated phase and then inevitably to blast crisis. In blast crisis, only immature leukemia cells are produced, a sign that the disease has become much worse. Massive enlargement of the spleen is common in blast crisis, as well as fever and weight loss.
