Three Stages
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Blast cells are immature WBC found in blood or bone marrow. The percentage of these cells in blood or bone marrow determines at which stage of CML a person is.
The first stage is when the blood and bone marrow are less than 10% blast cells. There are no symptoms in this stage.
The second stage is 10-20% blast cells. In this stage, the symptoms appear, usually fever and fatigue.
The third stage is over 20% blast cells and Blast Crisis occurs.
The symptoms of the second stage and third/Blast Crisis are: fatigue, weight loss, night sweats, fevers, spleen inflammation, bone pain.
The first stage is when the blood and bone marrow are less than 10% blast cells. There are no symptoms in this stage.
The second stage is 10-20% blast cells. In this stage, the symptoms appear, usually fever and fatigue.
The third stage is over 20% blast cells and Blast Crisis occurs.
The symptoms of the second stage and third/Blast Crisis are: fatigue, weight loss, night sweats, fevers, spleen inflammation, bone pain.
Treatments
Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia is a cancer that we have a lot of knowledge about because it is one of the most studied. Because of this, many different types of treatments exist.
Targeted Treatment
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This treatment utilizes different drugs and substances that target and attack blast cells without interfering or destroying regular cells. Often, these drugs and substances are Tyrosine Kinase inhibitors, which stop signal transduction pathways.
Chemotherapy
This kind of treatment either stops cells from growing or dividing, or it just directly kills the cells. Chemotherapy taken orally or injected into a vein enter the blood stream to reach cancer cells all over the body is called systematic chemotherapy. Regional therapy is when chemotherapy is placed in an organ or body cavity.
Biological Therapy
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Biological Therapy boots and restores the immune system’s defense against cancer. Antibodies, growth factors and vaccines are used in this treatment.
Donor Leukocyte Infusion
Donor Leukocyte Infusion is often used to treat patients with blood disorders. Leukocytes are taken from a donor that also donates stem cells. The leukocytes are injected into the patient’s blood stream. They can identify the cancer cells as not part of the patient’s body; they attack and kill them.
Combination Therapy
A combination of high-does chemotherapy and stem cell transplant can also be used to treat CML.
Spleen Removal
In some cases, but not all, spleen removal can stabilize or drastically slow the effects of CML as well as lessen the side effects.