Understanding ..

What Is Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia?

CML is sometimes discovered by routine blood tests during a normal check up.

It may first appear as anaemia, with the patient finding colds or other minor irritations difficult to control..

Mine was discovered by a routine check up after an operation I had but I also had other things that was definitely difficult to figure out/control.

CML is an acquired leukaemia, resulting from a change in a persons DNA.. This change results in an uncontrolled growth of white cells which also bring on abdominal discomfort due to an enlarged spleen.

My spleen gets big quite a lot and the pain is sometimes unbearable! 

It comes all down my left side of my stomach from underneath my boob.

Other symptoms can include excessive night sweats, weight loss, increased sensitivity to warm temperatures, pain or fullness below the ribs on the left side, tiredness and fevers.

When CML is suspected following a complete blood count, doctors will generally perform a series of tests referred to as a Cytogenetic Analysis.  A small sample of bone marrow is acquired via a marrow aspiration (BMA) and, at times, a bone biopsy will be performed (BMB).  

After my doctors did more blood tests, they performed a bone marrow biopsy which was so uncomfortable but that was what gave them the results.

Presence of a high white count, the PH Chromosome, and other blood and marrow tests can confirm a diagnosis of CML.

There are three stages of CML..

Stage one is Chronic.

Stage two is Accelerated.

Stage three is Blastic/blast crisis.

As you can imagine.. the worst is the last stage.

Leukaemia is acute or chronic depending on how fast it develops and gets worse.

Chronic leukaemia tends to develop very slowly. You may have a chronic leukaemia for months or years without having many symptoms. It may be stable for months or years before it gets worse.

White blood cells help you fight off infections. If you have abnormal white blood cells they cannot fight infections off so well. CML patients may get a lot more infections which may be difficult to get rid of.

When too many white blood cells are made, they take up much more room in the bone marrow than they normally would. This means that there is not enough space for making normal red blood cells and platelets.

Red blood cells carry oxygen round the body. If you do not have enough of these, you have anaemia which makes you tired and breathless.

Platelets are vital for normal blood clotting. If you do not have enough platelets, you will have bleeding problems such as nosebleeds, heavy periods or a fine rash of red spots cause by bleeding into the skin.

About 8,600 people are diagnosed with leukaemia each year in the UK. Around 750 of these have CML. So it’s quite a rare condition and is more common in men than women.

In my next post I will explain the chemotherapy that I am on and what side effects I get etc.

If you would like to read more into this type of cancer then please feel free to click on the links below.
The links will take you to the websites I have used to help me write this as well as the books I've been given from hospital!

CML - ABOUT

CML - ABOUT 2

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