Last updated on 1 April 2026
The Disease
Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a pathological clinical condition caused by the uncontrolled monoclonal proliferation of a single multipotent cell that has undergone neoplastic transformation.
The disease can involve the myeloid, monocytic, erythroid, megakaryocytic lineages and sometimes also the lymphoid compartment.
The years 2005-2010 saw a radical change in the therapy and prognosis of chronic myeloid leukemia, achieved through the use of knowledge about the molecular pathogenesis of the disease; the improvement has been compared to the discovery of antibiotics for the treatment of diseases caused by bacteria.
There are many possible treatments for chronic myeloid leukemia, but the standard for new diagnoses is therapy with Imatinib.
Compared to most anti-cancer drugs, imatinib has relatively few side effects and can be taken orally at home. With this drug, more than 90% of patients are able to keep the disease under control for at least five years, so that the chronic condition becomes manageable.
Source: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leucemia_mieloide_cronica
Epidemiology
The incidence in industrialized countries is 2 cases per 100,000 people/year; regarding gender, males are more affected (M:F ratio = 2:1).
It affects all ages, with 20-25% of cases being over 60 years old.
The median age at diagnosis is 45-50 years; in Italy there are approximately 800-1,000 new cases every year and the total number of patients is approximately 10,000, constantly increasing.
Source: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leucemia_mieloide_cronica
Chronic myeloid leukemia in Switzerland 2000-2007, from Cancer in Switzerland, 2015 report
The internet is full of information on this subject, but I do not want to bore you further with technical and scientific information.
Let us return to the story and the memories of that period.