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Blast Crisis of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML)

A Digest for Intensivists

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Oncologic Critical Care

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Abstract

The blast phase, or blast crisis, of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) remains a potentially life-threatening hematologic emergency and a clinical challenge. The advent of tyrosine kinase inhibitors has modestly improved survival in this setting, although outcomes remain unsatisfactory. CML in blast crisis also imposes many challenges to the clinician and intensivist as it frequently manifests with potentially fatal complications such as hyperleukocytosis and leukostasis, tumor lysis syndrome, and disseminated intravascular coagulation.

In this chapter, we present a contemporary overview of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and management approach of blast crisis in chronic myeloid leukemia, from an intensivist’s perspective.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA

    Rita Assi & Nicholas Short

  2. Lebanese American University Medical Center-Rizk Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon

    Rita Assi

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  1. Rita Assi
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  2. Nicholas Short
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Correspondence to Nicholas Short .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Critical Care, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer C Department of Critical Care, Houston, TX, USA

    Joseph L. Nates

  2. Department of Critical Care, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer C Department of Critical Care, Houston, TX, USA

    Kristen J. Price

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Assi, R., Short, N. (2019). Blast Crisis of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML). In: Nates, J., Price, K. (eds) Oncologic Critical Care. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74698-2_93-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74698-2_93-1

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