Glossary

• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H
• I
• J
• K
• L
• M
• N
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• Q
• R
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• A

  • Acute: A disease or phase of an illness that lasts for a short period of time and then usually moderates or disappears, compared to a chronic, ongoing condition. ¹

  • Accelerated phase of CML: When between 10 and 19% of the cells in the blood and bone marrow are blast cells, resulting in more obvious symptoms of CML. ²

  • Anemia: Condition when there is a low level of red blood cells, resulting in fatigue and other symptoms. ³

  • Arsenic: A poison commonly used as a treatment for CML in the 19th century. ⁴

  • Acute phase: see Blastic phase of CML

• B

  • Biological therapy: Treatments such as Interferon that aim to strengthen the immune system to help fight cancer or to control the side effects from other treatments such as chemotherapy. ⁵

  • Blast cell: An immature white blood cell that does not function properly. Also called granulocytes. ⁶

  • Blastic phase of CML: When 20% or more of the cells in the blood and bone marrow are blast cells and the disease is more aggressive. Also called a blast crisis or acute phase. ⁷

  • Blood count: The number of red and white blood cells and platelets in a blood sample.
    See Complete blood count. ⁸

  • Bone marrow: The soft tissue in the centre of bones that produces blood cells. ⁹

  • Bone marrow test: A test in which a needle is inserted into a bone to withdraw a sample of bone marrow for cytogenetic analysis. ¹⁰

  • Blast crisis: see Blastic phase of CML

• C

  • Chemotherapy: Drugs used in many cancers to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by preventing them from dividing and spreading. ¹¹

  • Chromosome: An organized structure of DNA and protein that is found in cells, carrying genetic information in the form of genes. ¹²

  • Chronic: Something that continues over a long time or comes back frequently, often over a lifetime. ¹³

  • Chronic phase of CML: When fewer than 10% of cells in the blood and bone marrow are blast cells. This is the phase at which 9 out of 10 CML patients are diagnosed. ¹⁴

  • Clinical trial: Studies done under strict regulations to help find out how treatments work. ¹⁵

  • CML: Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia, also sometimes called Chronic Myelocytic Leukemia, Chronic Myeloid Leukemia or Chronic Granulocytic Leukemia. ¹⁶

  • Complete blood count (CBC): A test of a sample of blood to check the level of red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and hemoglobin in the red blood cells. Also called a full blood count, or FBC. ¹⁷

  • Cytogenetic analysis: A test of samples of bone or bone marrow to look at chromosomes, particularly the Philadelphia chromosome. ¹⁸

  • Cytogenetic response: An evaluation of what percentage of the number of cells in blood and bone marrow continue to have the abnormal Philadelphia chromosome. ¹⁹

  • Chronic Granulocytic Leukemia: see CML.

  • Chronic Myelocytic Leukemia: see CML.

  • Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia: see CML.

  • Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: : see CML.

• F

  • FBC: see Complete blood count (CBC)

  • Full blood count: see Complete blood count (CBC)

• G

  • Granulocytes: Abnormal white blood cells that are created in person with CML, building up over time in the blood and bone marrow. Also called leukemic cells or blast cells. ²⁰

• H

  • Hematologic response: An evaluation of whether blood is returning to normal in terms of having the right levels of red blood cells, white blood cells and immature cells (blasts).

  • Hemoglobin: An iron-containing element of red blood cells which works mainly to move oxygen from the lungs to the tissues of the body. ²¹

• L

  • Leukemia: A broad term generally used to refer to a variety of cancers of the blood and bone marrow, involving an abnormal increase in the number of white blood cells in the tissue of the body, with or without an increase of those in the circulating blood. ²²

  • Lymphoma: A usually malignant (cancerous) tumour of lymphoid tissue (lymph nodes and spleen). ²³

  • Leukemic cells: see Granulocytes.

• M

  • Myelogenous: Of, relating to, originating in or produced in the bone marrow. ²⁴

• P

  • PCR testing: Polymerase chain reaction test, done at the molecular level to determine very specifically how well treatment has suppressed CML. ²⁵

  • Philadelphia chromosome: The chromosome abnormality present in 95% of persons with CML, caused by pieces from two specific different chromosomes breaking off and joining together to create this new, abnormal chromosome. ²⁶

  • Platelets: Blood cells that cause blood clots to form and prevent excessive bleeding. ²⁷

  • Prognosis: A medical term referring to the outlook for a patient with a particular disease or condition, based on known factors and the doctor’s expectations of what might happen. ²⁸

• R

  • Red blood cells: Blood cells that carry oxygen and other necessary nutrients though the body. ²⁹

  • Remission: The disappearance, for varying lengths of time, of the signs and symptoms of a disease after it has first appeared. ³⁰

  • Resistance: The development of a lack of response by disease cells to a treatment.

• S

  • Spleen: An organ on the left side of the body just under the ribs that can become larger than normal in persons with CML, resulting in a feeling of fullness or discomfort in the abdomen. ³¹

• T

  • Targeted molecular therapy: Drugs that are able to identify and attack specific cancer cells without harming normal cells, including the latest treatments for CML. ³²

• W

  • White blood cells: Blood cells that fight infection and disease. ³³