What is Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia? A look at the cancer behind Sunrise star Edwina Bartholomew’s shock on-air announcement

What is Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia? A look at the cancer behind Sunrise star Edwina Bartholomew's shock on-air announcement

As a dedicated follower of Edwina Bartholomew and her inspiring journey, it is with a heavy heart that I write this piece. Hearing about her diagnosis with Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia is undoubtedly shocking news, but as someone who has seen her strength and resilience over the years, I am confident she will face this challenge head-on.


On the latest installment of Sunrise, Edwina Bartholomew shared a heart-rending revelation: she has been diagnosed with cancer and was visibly emotional during the broadcast.

As I, a devoted follower, share my personal journey, I’ve recently been diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia, often referred to as CML.

The mother-of-two expressed that it was exceptionally beneficial. She mentioned that it could be managed with a daily pill. With proper self-care, she assured everyone that she would make a full recovery from the cancer.

As per the Leukaemia Foundation, Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia represents an uncommon form of cancer that targets the bloodstream and the marrow inside bones.

CML causes the bone marrow to produce too many white blood cells called granulocytes.

These cells, often called ‘blasts from leukemia’, tend to accumulate within the bone marrow, disrupting the process of generating regular blood cells.

The cells also ‘spill out’ of the bone marrow and circulate through the body via the bloodstream.

About 330 cases of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) are identified in Australians annually, making up a tiny fraction of less than 0.1% of all cancer diagnoses.

What is Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia? A look at the cancer behind Sunrise star Edwina Bartholomew's shock on-air announcement

As a devoted follower, I’d like to share an insight about Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML). While it can happen at any stage of life, it is significantly more prevalent in individuals over the age of 40. In fact, this demographic makes up nearly 70% of all diagnosed cases.

It also occurs more frequently in men than women. 

Typically, Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) usually advances gradually during its initial period, moving steadily through three distinct stages – chronic, accelerated, and blast – which can span from several weeks to months.

What is Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia? A look at the cancer behind Sunrise star Edwina Bartholomew's shock on-air announcement
What is Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia? A look at the cancer behind Sunrise star Edwina Bartholomew's shock on-air announcement

As a devoted adherent, I’ve come to understand that over 90% of individuals are diagnosed during the early chronic stage of this condition. In this stage, the blood counts generally stay within normal ranges, and the percentage of blast cells in both the blood and bone marrow is typically 5% or less.

Most people display few, if any, troubling symptoms of their disease in the chronic phase.

Approximately 5% of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) cases can transition from a relatively stationary state to a more rapidly advancing one. During this accelerated stage, an elevation in blast cells within the bone marrow and blood might occur.

In its natural course, advanced Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) might evolve into a fast-moving form of CML, similar to acute leukemia, but it’s important to note that this transformation occurs less than 5% of the time.

The risk is lowered to just one percent for patients who have a positive response to drug therapy.

Approximately 2/3 of Blast Phase Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) cases evolve into a leukemia similar to Acute Myeloid Leukemia, while the rest transform into one resembling Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

While treatment is largely dependent on the phase of the disease, age and health, most patients will be treated for CML with drugs called tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs).

These drugs block the activity of an enzyme called bcr-abl which prevents the growth and proliferation of these leukaemic cells. 

What is Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia? A look at the cancer behind Sunrise star Edwina Bartholomew's shock on-air announcement

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2024-09-06 05:33

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