Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia - Epidemiology

Epidemiology

CML occurs in all age groups, but most commonly in the middle-aged and elderly. Its annual incidence is 1–2 per 100,000 people, and slightly more men than women are affected. CML represents about 15–20% of all cases of adult leukemia in Western populations. The only well-described risk factor for CML is exposure to ionizing radiation; for example, increased rates of CML were seen in people exposed to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Leukemia is also rarely associated with pregnancy, affecting only about 1 in 10,000 pregnant women. Chronic myelogenous leukemia can be treated with relative safety at any time during pregnancy with Interferon-alpha hormones.