Table 1

The main morphological, clinical, cytogenetic and molecular genetic characteristics, and treatment options, in the major myeloid malignancies

Characteristics/treatment options

CML

CMML

APL

AML

Morphological characteristics

Proliferation of mature granulocytes and precursors

Proliferation of monocytes, also dysplasia in other cell lineages

Accumulation of promyelocytes

Accumulation of immature myeloid cells

Clinical characteristics

Mild symptoms (malaise, low fever), often asymptomatic; slow progression of disease

Bone marrow failure; often general symptoms: weight loss, night sweats

Often severe bone marrow failure (anemia, infection, bleeding) often coagulopathy; aggressive disease

Often severe bone marrow failure (anemia, infection, bleeding); aggressive disease

Cytogenetic characteristics

Reciprocal translocation between chromosomes 9 and 22 t(9;22)

Several described; could also be normal (60% to 70%)

Balances reciprocal translocation between chromosomes 15 and 17 t(15;17)

Several described; could also be normal (45%)

Molecular genetic characteristics

Probably important in disease development and resistance to TKIs

Several described; RAS family (N-RAS/K-RAS) seems of special interest

None recognized

Several discovered (Table 2), important in risk stratification

Main treatment options

First- and second-generation TKIs, allo-SCT

Chemotherapeutics, 5-azacitidine, allo-SCT

ATRA, arsenic trioxide, chemotherapeutics, allo-SCT

Chemotherapeutics, allo-SCT

allo-SCT, allogenic stem cell transplantation; AML, acute myeloid leukemia; APL, acute promyelocytic leukemia; ATRA, all-trans retinoic acid; CML, chronic myeloid leukemia; CMML, chronic myelomonocytic leukemia; TKI, tyrosine kinase inhibitor.

Hjelle et al. Genome Med 2010 2:41   doi:10.1186/gm162