In some cases, different treatments or combinations of treatments are possible. Your doctor will discuss the options with you. The age of the patient and the stage of the disease are things to consider in the choice of treatment.
Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) has three ‘phases’: a chronic phase, an acceleration phase and an acute phase.
1. The chronic phase
At this stage, there are less than 10% abnormal cells in the blood or bone marrow. Patients have few symptoms and respond well to standard treatment.
In the chronic phase, targeted treatment with a signal inhibitor is usually chosen.
2. The acceleration phase
In the acceleration phase, more abnormal cells are found and patients often have fever, poor appetite and lose weight. They respond less well to treatment.
In the acceleration phase, targeted treatment with a signal inhibitor is usually chosen. Some patients may be eligible for a stem cell transplant preceded by intensive chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy.
3. The acute phase
In the acute phase or blast crisis, the chronic leukaemia has turned into a rapidly advancing acute leukaemia that grows into several organs. In this phase, patients show even worse symptoms.
In the acute phase, CML strongly resembles AML, in some cases ALL, in its characteristics and symptoms. The disease is now further treated as acute leukaemia.
