CML Staging

Staging. After a definitive diagnosis, it is essential to properly classify chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) so that the most effective treatment plan can be established. Because there is no standard staging system for the disease, CML is classified by the rate at which the abnormal cells overtake the healthy blood cells, and the severity of symptoms. The following tests and procedures may be used to determine the phase:

Cytogenetic Analysis. Cells in a sample of blood or bone marrow are viewed under a microscope to look for changes in the structure or number of chromosomes, such as the Philadelphia chromosome—a definitive indicator of CML.

Bone Marrow Aspiration and Biopsy. A small piece of bone and bone marrow are removed from the hipbone or breastbone through a needle. A pathologist views both the bone and bone marrow samples under a microscope to look for abnormal cells.

The phases of CML:

• Chronic Phase. Fewer than ten percent of the cells in the blood and bone marrow are blast cells (immature white blood cells).
• Accelerated Phase. Ten to nineteen percent of the cells in the blood and bone marrow are blast cells.
• Blast Phase. Twenty percent or more of the cells in the blood or bone marrow are blast cells. When tiredness, fever and an enlarged spleen occur during this phase, it is called blast crisis.

To schedule a consult with our team of oncologists, simply ask your primary care physician for a referral or make a self-referral by calling 1-877-LACKS-MI or 616-752-LACK(S).