Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) Treatment Cost in India

The malignancy of the bone marrow, the spongy tissue found inside bones where blood cells are formed, is rare and is known as chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). The amount of white blood cells in the blood rises as a result of CML. Though it can happen to anybody at any age, it mainly affects elderly individuals and happens very infrequently in children. Doctors in India assess the patient’s preferences and general health before recommending a course of treatment. Other considerations include the disease’s stage, potential side effects, and treatment choices. People with chronic myelogenous leukemia in India now have a significantly better prognosis because of medical advancements. After diagnosis, the majority of patients will have remission and live a long time.

Treatment for chronic myelogenous leukemia in India is much lesser as compared to other developed countries like the US, America, Russia, etc. Together with the skill of an oncologist, hematologists, and the state-of-the-art medical equipment used at the top Indian hospitals may be partially credited for the success. In addition to these advantages, India is well known for its low costs without lowering clinical standards.

What is Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia?

Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is a kind of cancer that develops in the bone marrow’s blood-forming cells. Chronic refers to the fact that this malignancy often advances more slowly than acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The term “myelogenous” describes the kind of cells that are harmed by this kind of cancer. The illness is also known as chronic granulocytic leukemia or chronic myeloid leukemia

A particular alteration in the bone marrow stem cell is the cause of CML’s onset. Particularly, BCR-ABL, an aberrant gene, is present in CML cancer cells. This gene produces a protein that fuels the uncontrolled growth of cancer cells. Therefore, the bone marrow creates an excessive amount of granulocytes (a type of white blood cell). Blasts, or immature white blood cells, build up over time. Your bone marrow finds it challenging to create typical red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets as a result.

There are many phases of chronic myelogenous leukemia. Each one demonstrates how aggressive the cancer is. The three main stages of chronic myelogenous leukemia are as follows:

• Chronic: The best response to therapy often occurs in those who are in this early stage.
• Accelerated: The transitory stage of cancer sees an increase in its aggressiveness.
• Blast: Blast, the final stage of CML, is the worst. The illness is now considered to be life-threatening.

What are the Signs and Symptoms of Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia?

The following indications or symptoms may be present in people with CML. Or, a medical disease other than leukemia might be to blame for a symptom. But because CML often advances slowly, symptoms might not show up for a while. Typically, the symptoms start off modest and gradually develop worse. Additionally, many CML patients have no symptoms at all. Blood tests performed for another cause are most frequently used to detect CML. When they appear, warning indicators may include:

• A bone ache
• Quick bleeding
• Being satisfied after consuming a tiny amount of food
• Feeling exhausted or run-down Fever
• Loss of weight without effort
• Reduced appetite
• Pain or fullness behind the ribcage on the left side
• Sweating excessively when sleeping (night sweats)

How is Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Diagnosed?

Most frequently, CML is discovered during a regular blood count. Your healthcare practitioner will schedule additional tests to confirm your diagnosis if they have any reason to believe you may have CML. These tests might consist of:

• Physical examination and medical history: An examination of the body to look for indicators of disease, such as an enlarged spleen, as well as general markers of health. Additionally, a history of the patient’s health practices, diseases, and treatments in the past will be recorded.
• Blood chemistry studies: This method involves analyzing a blood sample to determine the concentrations of certain compounds that the body’s organs and tissues release into the blood. An abnormally high or low concentration of a chemical might indicate illness.
• Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy: The removal of bone marrow, blood, and a tiny piece of bone through the hipbone or breastbone with a needle. A pathologist looks for aberrant cells by microscopically examining the bone marrow, blood, and bone.

The samples of blood or bone marrow tissue is taken may be subjected to one of the following tests:

• Cytogenetic analysis: A laboratory procedure that counts and examines the chromosomes of cells in a sample of bone marrow or blood for any alterations, such as damaged, missing, altered, or additional chromosomes. Chromosome changes, such as those in the Philadelphia chromosome, might be an indication of malignancy. Cancer can be diagnosed through cytogenetic analysis, and it can also be used to design treatments or assess how well they are functioning.
• Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assay (RT-PCR): A laboratory test that quantifies the quantity of mRNA produced by a particular gene. A specific piece of RNA is transformed into a matching piece of DNA by an enzyme called reverse transcriptase so that it may be amplified (produced in vast quantities) by another enzyme called DNA polymerase. The amplified DNA copies make it possible to determine if a certain mRNA is produced by a gene. The activation of specific genes that may point to the existence of cancer cells may be checked using RT-PCR. This test may be used to check for specific chromosomal or gene abnormalities that might aid in the diagnosis of cancer.
• Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH): A laboratory test used to examine and quantify genes or chromosomes in cells and tissues. A sample of cells or tissues from a patient is mixed with fluorescent dye-containing DNA fragments that were created in the lab. In the sample, these coloured DNA fragments bind to certain genes or regions of the chromosomes, which causes them to glow when observed under a fluorescence microscope. The FISH test is used to assist in cancer diagnosis and therapy planning.