Chronic myeloid leukaemia

Chronic myeloid leukaemia

• About chronic myeloid leukaemia
• Symptoms of chronic myeloid leukaemia
• Causes of chronic myeloid leukaemia
• Diagnosing chronic myeloid leukaemia
• Treating chronic myeloid leukaemia
• Complications of chronic myeloid leukaemia

About chronic myeloid leukaemia

Leukaemia is cancer of the white blood cells. Chronic leukaemia means the condition progresses slowly over many years. Chronic leukaemia is classified according to the type of white blood cells that are affected by cancer. There are 2 main types:

• lymphocytes – mostly used to fight viral infections
• myeloid cells – which perform a number of different functions, such as fighting bacterial infections, defending the body against parasites and preventing the spread of tissue damage

These pages focus on chronic myeloid leukaemia, which is a cancer of the myeloid cells. The following other types of leukaemia are covered elsewhere:

• chronic lymphocytic leukaemia
• acute myeloid leukaemia
• acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

What happens in chronic leukaemia

Your bone marrow produces stem cells. These are unique cells because they have the ability to develop into three important types of blood cell:

• red blood cells – which carry oxygen around the body
• white blood cells – which help fight infection
• platelets – which help stop bleeding

In leukaemia, a genetic mutation in the stem cells causes a huge over-production of white blood cells and a corresponding drop in red blood cells and platelets.

It’s this lack of red blood cells which causes symptoms of anaemia, such as tiredness, and the lack of platelets that increases the risk of excessive bleeding.

Warning signs of chronic myeloid leukaemia

In its early stages, chronic myeloid leukaemia usually causes no noticeable symptoms. As the condition develops, symptoms include:

• tiredness 
• weight loss 
• night sweats
• a feeling of bloating
• bruising 
• bone pain 

Read more about the symptoms of chronic myeloid leukaemia

How common is chronic myeloid leukaemia?

Chronic myeloid leukaemia is quite a rare type of cancer. 

Chronic myeloid leukaemia can affect people of any age, but it is more common in people aged 40 to 60. There is no evidence that it runs in families.