WHAT IS CML?
CML is shorthand for chronic myeloid, chronic myelocytic or chronic myelogenous leukemia (also known as chronic granulocytic leukemia or cgl) CML is a form of leukemia which affects the cells which make granulocytes (the polymorphs that eat bacteria) and the platelets (the little cells which help the blood to clot). In its early stages it produces an increase in the numbers of granulocytes and platelets but these cells still function normally and the patient may have no symptoms. This situation may continue for 3 or 4 years (known as chronic phase) and the disease may be unsuspected with the diagnosis made incidentally in the course of an insurance examination or a pre-anesthetic work-up. However, eventually the nature of the disease changes and CML starts to behave like other leukemias. These changes are called transformation and are often slight to start with (accelerated phase), but within 6 months or so usually progress to the full-blown leukemic picture (blast phase).
