You’ve just been diagnosed - CML - Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

"The bad news is you do have Chronic myeloid leukemia, but the good news is if you have to pick a type of leukemia, you picked a good one to have. Now with CML, we have treatments."
WELCOME to the CML Community
Newly diagnosed? by The National CML Society
Frequently ask questions by The National CML Society
10 Facts about CML by CML Support
Introduction to CML
Some interesting links by the American Cancer Society :
Can Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Be Found Early?
Signs and Symptoms of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
How Is Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Diagnosed?
How Is Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Staged?
Newly diagnosed? by The National CML Society
Frequently ask questions by The National CML Society
10 Facts about CML by CML Support
Introduction to CML
Some interesting links by the American Cancer Society :
Can Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Be Found Early?
Signs and Symptoms of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
How Is Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Diagnosed?
How Is Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Staged?
Diagnosis, staging, and risk classification
"The diagnosis of CML can be done with peripheral blood. An elevated WBC count with left shift, frequently with basopilia, and an enlarged spleen is suggestive of CML. Although the presence of BCR-ABL can be confirmed with FISH or PCR for BCR-ABL, a BM aspiration and cytogenetic analysis is mandatory for proper workup. Without this, one cannot tell if there might be increased blasts or basophils that would shift the staging from chronic (CP) to accelerated (AP) or blastic (BP) phase. In addition, we would not know whether additional chromosomal abnormalities are present besides the Philadelphia chromosome (ie, clonal evolution). If cytogenetics are not done at diagnosis and later identified such changes, it is impossible to determine whether this is a new occurrence or persistence of previously present abnormalities. Thus, in all patients with suspected CML we perform a BM aspiration with differential count and cytogenetics as well as FISH and PCR at diagnosis to confirm that the fusion gene present is detectable. We give no consideration to the absolute value of the transcript levels at diagnosis, but uncommon rearrangements (eg, e13a3, e14a3, e19a2) may not be detectable by the standard PCR probes. Not having a baseline PCR on a patient with such abnormality could create confusion when a subsequent evaluation comes with undetectable transcripts. This could be interpreted as complete molecular response (CMR) when indeed it represents an inevaluable test. Probes are available that can detect these transcripts,2 but they are usually not routinely used in most commercial and academic laboratories."
For more information, see How I treat newly diagnosed chronic phase CML, by Jorge Cortes and Hagop Kantarjian, Journal Blood, 2012
VERY IMPORTANT
In the weeks after your diagnosis, ask you doctor to give the results on paper ( Complete Blood Count (CBC), Bone Marrow Biopsy (BMB), BCR-ABL FISH and BCR-ABL PCR ). See the site CML Life to record your results if you want.
Adherence to the medications is necessary for the optimal treatment of CML.
See the videos about Adherence
Dont'forget to tell your doctor about food and drug interactions.
See Food and Drug Interactions
Make a list of your side effects and inform your doctor.
See Managing Side Effects
What you need to know about testing and monitoring in order to ensure the best treatment outcome..
See Molecular monitoring in CML
CML patients should be vaccinated against pneumococcus.
Influenza vaccination is recommended in CML patients.
Ask your doctor what is the good timing to be vaccinated in your case.
See Vaccination of CMLers
To make it easier to find information on this site, practice with the CML Search Engine and then Ctrl-F.
See Search 101 for CMLers
In the weeks after your diagnosis, ask you doctor to give the results on paper ( Complete Blood Count (CBC), Bone Marrow Biopsy (BMB), BCR-ABL FISH and BCR-ABL PCR ). See the site CML Life to record your results if you want.
Adherence to the medications is necessary for the optimal treatment of CML.
See the videos about Adherence
Dont'forget to tell your doctor about food and drug interactions.
See Food and Drug Interactions
Make a list of your side effects and inform your doctor.
See Managing Side Effects
What you need to know about testing and monitoring in order to ensure the best treatment outcome..
See Molecular monitoring in CML
CML patients should be vaccinated against pneumococcus.
Influenza vaccination is recommended in CML patients.
Ask your doctor what is the good timing to be vaccinated in your case.
See Vaccination of CMLers
To make it easier to find information on this site, practice with the CML Search Engine and then Ctrl-F.
See Search 101 for CMLers
SECONDARY INFORMATION
After several years, you may consider stopping treatment with the advice of your doctor. To do this, you need two factors to make this decision: the Sokal factor and your BCR/transcript. A lot of doctors don't give theses informations. If your Sokal factor is good and your BCR/transcript is e14a2, you have more chance to have a successful TFR (treatment-free remission)
See Sokal, Hasford, and EUTOS scores
See also BCR-ABL Transcripts
After several years, you may consider stopping treatment with the advice of your doctor. To do this, you need two factors to make this decision: the Sokal factor and your BCR/transcript. A lot of doctors don't give theses informations. If your Sokal factor is good and your BCR/transcript is e14a2, you have more chance to have a successful TFR (treatment-free remission)
See Sokal, Hasford, and EUTOS scores
See also BCR-ABL Transcripts
VIDEOS
CML Patient Shares Her Story to Provide Hope for Others
March 11, 2020, Patient Power
CML Patients May Need Fewer Bone Marrow Biopsies in the Future
February 20, 2013, Patient Power
How a CML Patient and Doctor Work Together
November 6, 2012, Patient Power
CML Patient Shares Her Story to Provide Hope for Others
March 11, 2020, Patient Power
CML Patients May Need Fewer Bone Marrow Biopsies in the Future
February 20, 2013, Patient Power
How a CML Patient and Doctor Work Together
November 6, 2012, Patient Power
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