Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia
Overview
What is the Leukemia?
What is Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia?
Causes
Chronic myelogenous leukemia occurs when something goes awry in the genes of your bone marrow cells. It’s not clear what initially sets off this process, but doctors have discovered how it progresses into chronic myelogenous leukemia.
An abnormal chromosome develops Human cells normally contain 23 pairs of chromosomes. These chromosomes hold the DNA that contains the instructions (genes) that control the cells in your body. In people with chronic myelogenous leukemia, the chromosomes in the blood cells swap sections with each other.
Diagnosis
Physical exam: Your doctor will examine you and check such vital signs as pulse and blood pressure.
Blood tests: A complete blood count may reveal abnormalities in your blood cells, such as a very high number of white blood cells.
Bone marrow tests: Bone marrow biopsy and bone marrow aspiration are used to collect bone marrow samples for laboratory testing.
