Leukemia

Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia

Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment

Diagnosis

Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is generally suspected after finding of an elevated white blood cell count with immature "myeloid" cells in the blood. The diagnosis is then confirmed by the presence of the Philadelphia chromosome, either by chromosome analysis, called cytogenetics, or by molecular testing for the abnormal BCRABL gene. A bone marrow biopsy helps determine whether the CML is in an early or advanced stage.

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Medical Center.
Last updated July 31, 2008