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Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Treatment (PDQ®)

Patient Version
Last Modified: 09/27/2011

Relapsed Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia

In relapsed CML, the number of blast cells increases after a remission.



Glossary Terms

blast (blast)
An immature blood cell.
CML
A slowly progressing disease in which too many white blood cells (not lymphocytes) are made in the bone marrow. Also called chronic granulocytic leukemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia, and chronic myeloid leukemia.
relapse (REE-laps)
The return of a disease or the signs and symptoms of a disease after a period of improvement.
remission (reh-MIH-shun)
A decrease in or disappearance of signs and symptoms of cancer. In partial remission, some, but not all, signs and symptoms of cancer have disappeared. In complete remission, all signs and symptoms of cancer have disappeared, although cancer still may be in the body.