Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia - A Review of Pathophysiology, Clinico-Laboratory Features and Emerging Treatment Options.

Abstract

Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative disorder characterized by the presence of Philadelphia chromosome and affects a good number of Africans and African-American population. The aim of this review is to highlight the aetiophysiology, clinical/laboratory characteristics and treatment options, especially the new and emerging treatment modalities of CML. The review was sourced mainly from internet (pubmed). Relevant Oncology journals and textbooks of haematology were also consulted. There are reported cases of relapse/resistance to imatinib which is the current drug of choice in CML treatment. Research has reached advanced stage on the use of alternative drugs (eg Nilotinib and Desatinib) especially in resistant cases. It is hoped that these new drugs will become the treatment of choice and first line drugs for the treatment of CML. We recommend that these new drugs should also be made available and free (just like Imatinib) to resourcepoor African countries like Nigeria.

Key words: Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia, Pathophysiology, Treatment