Can Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) Be Found Early?
Screening is testing to try to find a disease, such as cancer, early in people who don’t have any symptoms yet.
At this time, there are no widely recommended screening tests for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Still, CML is often found before it causes any symptoms.
Finding CML because of a blood test
CML is often found when a person has an abnormal result on a blood test that was done as part of a routine exam or for some other health reason.
Noticing symptoms of CML at an early stage
At other times, a person might have signs or symptoms of CML while it’s still in an early phase.
If you notice any symptoms that could be caused by CML, let your health care team know so the cause can be found and treated if needed.
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- References
Developed by the American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team with medical review and contribution by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
Kantarjian H, Cortes J. Chapter 98: Chronic myeloid leukemia. In: Niederhuber JE, Armitage JO, Doroshow JH, Kastan MB, Tepper JE, eds. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Elsevier; 2020.
National Cancer Institute. Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Treatment (PDQ®)–Patient Version. 2025. Accessed at https://www.cancer.gov/types/leukemia/patient/cml-treatment-pdq on April 17, 2025.
Van Etten RA, Atallah E. Chronic myeloid leukemia: Pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, and diagnosis. UpToDate. 2025. Accessed at https://www.uptodate.com/contents/chronic-myeloid-leukemia-pathogenesis-clinical-manifestations-and-diagnosis on April 17, 2025.
Last Revised: June 16, 2025
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