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The expanding options for front-line treatment in patients with newly diagnosed CML
Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology
Javier Pinilla-Ibarz, Ian Flinn -
published online 09 April 2012.
1. Introduction
Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a hematopoietic stem cell disease whose underlying cause is a reciprocal translocation between the long arms of chromosomes 9 and 22. This translocation results in a shortened chromosome 22, called the Philadelphia chromosome, and the creation of a BCR-ABL fusion gene. The product of BCR-ABL is a tyrosine kinase with aberrant activity that initiates a chain of effects, ultimately leading to malignant transformation [1], [2], [3]. CML is one of the few malignant diseases triggered by a single oncogene (oncogene addiction), thereby lending itself to molecularly targeted treatment.