Demographics:

• rare disease, 0.03% of all cancers diagnosed.
• CML can occur at any age, more common >40yo
• men>women
• rarely diagnosed in children.

Aetiology:

• Idiopathic (in most cases)
• Ionizing radiation (e.g., secondary to therapeutic radiation)
• Aromatic hydrocarbons (especially benzene)

Risk factors

• Ionizing radiation (e.g., secondary to therapeutic radiation)
• Aromatic hydrocarbons (especially benzene)

Pathophysiology

• translocation (9:22) → fusion/activation of BCR-ABL oncogene → encodes non-receptor tyrosine kinase → inhibits physiologic apoptosis and increases mitotic rate → uncontrolled proliferation of granulocytes (increased mature cells, mid stage progenitor cells (myelocytes, metamyelocytes) but no blasts)

3 phases