What are the key statistics about chronic myeloid leukemia?

The American Cancer Society's most recent estimates for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in the United States are for 2012:

• About 5,430 new cases will be diagnosed with CML (3,210 in men and 2,220 in women).
• About 610 people will die of CML (370 men and 240 women).

CML accounts for about 10% to 15% of all leukemias. The average person's lifetime risk of getting CML is about 1 in 625. This disease is slightly more common in men than in women. It is also more common in whites than in African-Americans.

The average age at diagnosis of CML is around 65 years. Over half of cases are diagnosed in people 65 and older. This type of leukemia mainly affects adults, and is only rarely seen in children.

There has been dramatic progress in treatment over the past several years, so most people with CML are now surviving at least 5 years after diagnosis. But because the highly effective drugs are still fairly new, the average survival of people now being diagnosed with CML is not known.