Incidence and Characteristics of Blast Crisis in CML

Understanding Blast Crisis in CML

• In chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), myeloid blast crisis accounts for 70-80% of cases while lymphoid blast crisis represents 20-30% of cases 1, 2
• Blast crisis (BP) is characterized by ≥30% blasts in peripheral blood or bone marrow, or extramedullary blastic infiltration 2, 3
• Transformation from chronic phase (CP) to blast phase (BP) occurs due to genetic instability in BCR-ABL-positive cells 1

Distinguishing Between Myeloid and Lymphoid Blast Crisis

• Immunohistochemistry with antibodies against CD34, TdT, myeloid, monocytic, erythroid, B and T-lymphoid cell markers helps distinguish between the two types 1
• Flow cytometry and histochemistry provide accurate assessment of immature cells and lineage determination 2