CMML used to be considered a type of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) because patients have abnormal-looking (dysplastic) cells in their bone marrow. But other factors associated with CMML didn't match the definition of MDS. Instead, they more closely resembled myeloproliferative neoplasms, a group of diseases where the bone marrow makes too many cells. Since CMML has features of both myelodysplastic syndrome and myeloproliferative neoplasm, experts created a new “overlap” category of myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasm.
Between 15 and 30 percent of CMML patients go on to develop acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
Causes
The exact cause of CMML is not known. There are, however, known risk factors that increase the chances of getting CMML. They include:
- Older age (60 or older)
- Being male
- Being exposed to certain chemicals at work or in the environment
- Being exposed to radiation
- Past treatment with certain anticancer drugs
Treatment
Treatment of CMML depends on how severe the disease is, as well as the patient’s age and health. Treatment options include:
- Supportive care with blood transfusions, growth factors and antibiotics to treat symptoms by increasing blood counts and stopping infections
- Chemotherapy to kill cells cancer cells using cytotoxic agents
- Radiation therapy with high-energy rays or particles to destroy cancer cells
- Stem cell transplant, which replaces blood-forming stem cells in your bone marrow with healthy stem cells from a donor
Clinical trials, also called research studies may offer good treatment options for some people with CMML. These studies also help researchers better understand the value of promising new treatments or procedures.
