Ph+CML
- Blood Cancer
Blood cancer is a type of cancer that affects a person blood cells. Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma are some of the most common types of blood cancer.
- What is CML?
Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) is a type of blood cancer that starts in the bone marrow — the soft tissue inside bones where blood cells are made. In CML, the bone marrow produces too many abnormal white blood cells, which can build up in the blood and crowd out normal blood cells.
What is Ph+CML in chronic phase?
Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (Ph+CML) is a type of cancer that starts in the blood and bone marrow, where blood cells are made. It happens because of an unusual protein called BCR-ABL, which makes the body produce too many abnormal white blood cells.
Ph+CML develops in three phases. The first phase is called the chronic phase, and most adults are diagnosed during this stage.
- Symptoms of Ph+CML
Some people may feel very tired, have trouble breathing, get fevers, or feel pain in their bones. These are not the only symptoms of Ph+ CML, so it’s important to regularly talk to your doctor about any symptoms you notice.
- What is BCR-ABL?
BCR – Breakpoint Cluster Region (a gene located on chromosome 22) & ABL – Abelson murine leukemia viral oncogene homolog 1 (a gene located on chromosome 9).
When these two genes fuse due to a chromosomal abnormality (called the Philadelphia chromosome), they form the BCR-ABL fusion gene, which produces the abnormal BCR-ABL protein responsible for CML.
- Abnormal BCR–ABL protein causing Ph+CML
BCR–ABL leads to uncontrolled growth of abnormal white blood cells (leukemic cells) in Ph+ CML-CP.
