Can Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Be Found Early?

The American Cancer Society recommends screening tests for certain cancers in people who have no symptoms because these cancers are easier to treat if found early. But at this time, no screening tests are routinely recommended to find chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) early.

CML can sometimes be found when routine blood tests are done for other reasons, like a routine physical. Test results might show that a person's white blood cell count is very high, even though they don't have any symptoms.

It's important to report any symptoms that could be caused by CML to a doctor right away.

The American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team

Our team is made up of doctors and oncology certified nurses with deep knowledge of cancer care as well as journalists, editors, and translators with extensive experience in medical writing.

Jabbour E, Kantarjian H. Chronic myeloid leukemia: 2018 update on diagnosis, therapy and monitoring. Am J Hematol. 2018;93(3):442-459.

Last Revised: June 19, 2018

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Early Detection, Diagnosis, and Staging