Causes of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

Written by He Li Fang
Hematology
Updated on September 19, 2024
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Chronic granulocytic leukemia, also known as chronic myeloid leukemia, is a myeloproliferative tumor originating from pluripotent stem cells. It is characterized by a specific chromosomal alteration, commonly referred to as the Philadelphia chromosome, which is formed by the translocation of chromosomes 9 and 22, resulting in the formation of the BCR-ABL fusion gene at the molecular level. Chronic granulocytic leukemia is a clonal disease originating from pluripotent stem cells. Due to a significant expansion of the progenitor cell pool, there is excessive proliferation of myeloid cells and increased granulocyte production. The slow clearance of granulocytes leads to the accumulation of granulocytes in the body, which is the main cause of the disease.

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Written by Li Fang Fang
Hematology
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What tests are done for leukemia?

Patients with leukemia need to be further classified to determine if it is acute leukemia or chronic leukemia, whether it is acute myeloid leukemia or acute lymphoblastic leukemia in the case of acute leukemia, and whether it is chronic myeloid leukemia or chronic lymphocytic leukemia in the case of chronic leukemia. Therefore, in addition to routine blood tests, leukemia patients also need to undergo bone marrow cytology, immunophenotyping, testing for 43 types of leukemia fusion genes, chromosome tests, etc., to further clarify the subtype of leukemia. After the subtype is clarified, a treatment plan is selected based on the specific type.

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Written by Zhang Xiao Le
Hematology
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The difference between chronic granulocytic leukemia and leukemia

Chronic granulocytic leukemia is a type of leukemia, which itself is a group of malignant clonal disorders of hematopoietic stem cells. In leukemia, the leukemic cells exhibit enhanced self-renewal, uncontrolled proliferation, and obstructed apoptosis, causing a halt at various stages of cell development. Leukemia is divided into acute leukemia and chronic leukemia. Acute leukemia includes acute lymphoblastic leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia, while chronic leukemia includes chronic lymphocytic leukemia and chronic granulocytic leukemia. The primary difference between acute and chronic leukemia is that the leukemic cells in acute leukemia mainly stall at the primitive and immature stages, whereas in chronic leukemia, the cells primarily remain at the mid-immature and late-immature stages.

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Written by Li Fang Fang
Hematology
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Is leukemia cancer?

Leukemia is a cancer of the blood system. Based on the maturity of the tumor cells, leukemia can be divided into acute leukemia and chronic leukemia. Acute leukemia is further divided into acute myeloid leukemia and acute lymphoblastic leukemia, while chronic leukemia is divided into chronic granulocytic leukemia and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. As the name suggests, acute leukemia has a rapid onset, a shorter survival period, and treatment is more challenging. Chronic leukemia, on the other hand, has a slower onset, a relatively longer survival period, and the treatment results are comparatively better.

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Written by He Li Fang
Hematology
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Chronic granulocytic leukemia symptoms

The clinical symptoms of chronic myeloid leukemia can be divided into two phases: 1. During the chronic phase, the earliest subjective symptoms include fatigue, dizziness, and abdominal discomfort. Other symptoms may also appear such as general malaise, decreased endurance, and nausea. Some patients may exhibit signs of increased basal metabolism, such as sweating, weight loss, palpitations, and nervousness. As the disease progresses, patients may experience enlargement of the liver and spleen. An enlarged spleen can cause abdominal bloating, discomfort in the upper left abdomen, and a feeling of fullness after eating. In a few cases, bleeding may occur in the early stages. In female patients, excessive menstruation is common, and while bone pain and joint pain are less common at initial diagnosis, they can also occur. 2. During the accelerated phase, patients often exhibit unexplained low-grade fever, fatigue, lack of appetite, night sweats, and increased weight loss. These symptoms are accompanied by rapid enlargement of the spleen causing discomfort and fullness, sudden swelling of lymph nodes, clear sternal tenderness, and osteolytic changes in bones leading to bone pain. Anemia also progressively worsens. Once patients enter the blast crisis phase, they may show extramedullary infiltration symptoms such as skin nodules, testicular infiltration, abnormal penile erections, and the appearance of green tumors in the eye sockets, among other serious complications.

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Written by Li Fang Fang
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What are the symptoms of leukemia?

The symptoms of leukemia mainly fall into four categories: infections, anemia, bleeding, and tumor infiltration. Infections occur because the proliferation of leukemia cells leads to a reduction in the patient's own granulocytes, lowering their resistance and possibly leading to various secondary infections such as respiratory, urinary system, and skin mucous membrane infections. Anemia is due to the proliferation of leukemia cells, which restricts normal erythropoiesis in the bone marrow, leading to symptoms in patients such as dizziness, headaches, fatigue, and decreased stamina. Bleeding occurs due to a decrease in platelets, posing a risk of spontaneous bleeding, which can include bleeding of the skin mucous membranes, organs, and even cerebral hemorrhage. Tumor infiltration by leukemia cells may manifest as tumor masses on the skin surface.