Cause of CML and CLL
In both CML and CLL, experts don’t know the exact cause of the disease. Gene changes likely play a role. CML and CLL are caused by genetic mutations that affect the way our body produces blood cells. The changes responsible for these types of cancers are typically acquired during a person’s lifetime. In CML the first changes occur in immature myeloid cells located in your bone marrow. Your myeloid cells are responsible for producing cells. The genetic mutation [4] causes the cells to make cancerous white blood cells instead. Over time, these cells overwhelm the other cells in your bone marrow and begin to spread to the rest of the body. CLL occurs when a mutation causes immune cells called B lymphocytes to divide and reproduce at an abnormal rate. Experts know that most people with CML have an abnormal chromosome called the PHILADELPHIA CHROMOSOME, which is responsible for out-of-control cell growth and division. Currently, medical scientists are not sure of what causes this extra production of B lymphocytes [5].