Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a type of blood cancer that affects the production of granulocytes (a kind of white blood cell) from the bone marrow.
- When Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was first diagnosed with a type of cancer of the white blood cells called Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML), he felt as if “might be dead in a few months,” but his resilience and ability to stay hopeful has inspired others battling the same disease, as it’s been 16 years since his diagnosis.
- Abdul-Jabbar has beaten prostate cancer after detecting it early. He has also survived leukemia and deals with a heart condition called atrial fibrillation, or AFib.
- The specific type of leukemia that Abdul-Jabbar is living with is called chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). With CML, blast cells (or immature white blood cells) form and uncontrollably multiply and divide.
- CML treatment has come a long way because of drugs called tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). These drugs block the abnormal protein made by the CML cells.
- Extensive SurvivorNet CML resources for patients are here.
Thankfully, he has since realized his fears were inaccurate, as Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML), also known as chronic myelogenous leukemia, is a disease which can be managed. Although CML usually grows slowly, it can also turn into a faster-growing acute leukemia, which is more challenging to treat.
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“I really had no understanding of what I was dealing with.”
Abdul-Jabbar, who takes a targeted cancer drug (known as tyrosine kinase inhibitor) called Imatinib mesylate (brand name: Gleevec) to manage CML, then noted, “You’re never really cancer-free and I should have known that. My cancer right now is at an absolute minimum.”
He also said, “Medical science has made great strides over the last 20 years. People in my position are able to live their lives to the fullest. I’m very grateful for that. I’m lucky that they caught it in enough time, and I’ve responded well to the medication.
“If not for the success that medicine has made, I might be part of a much different story right now.”
Expert Resources On Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML)
- How Do I Pay for CML Treatment? Navigating the Cost of Care
- How is CML Diagnosed Without Obvious Symptoms?
- The Different Phases Of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) & Possible Treatments
- Understanding the Genetics of CML and Difficulty of Identifying a Cause
- What is Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) and How is it Diagnosed?
- Will I Need a Stem Cell Transplant for CML and How Do I Find a Match?
In another interview with The Future of Personal Health, Abdul-Jabbar admitted he thinks “it’s hard for anyone to wrap their head around having cancer,” but his motivation throughout his journey was “staying alive.”
In order to confront the challenges he’s faced he prioritizes his routine checkups and following doctors orders.
The NBA legend, who has also dealt with atrial fibrillation, or AFib, in recent years, added, “Having been a professional athlete, I continue to stay active and exercise regularly. Stay positive, get all the facts and lean on your support network … family, friends, whatever.
“Most importantly, listen to your doctor and follow whatever treatment regimen he gives you. Don’t try to improvise with your medicines.”
Abdul-Jabbar, who continues to be an advocate for CML, has also previously shared that he wants to help others understand “that they’re not alone and that they have the opportunity to treat this disease …so many people think that once they’re diagnosed, that’s it, and it’s just going to be a slow descent into a bad end, and it doesn’t have to be that way.”
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s Health Battles
After experiencing a heart condition and overcoming cancer twice, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has become a vocal advocate for healthcare awareness. His personal health struggles have motivated him to use his influence to raise awareness about different illnesses and the inequalities that exist in the healthcare system.
One of the major health challenges he has faced is chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), a type of blood cancer. He received the diagnosis in 2008 following symptoms such as night sweats and hot flashes. In a 2018 interview with People, he shared that he was on a daily treatment plan involving targeted medication designed specifically for his condition.
Abdul-Jabbar later explained that his treatment relied on “precision medicine,” which addresses the unique genetic mutation responsible for his illness.
He said, “In my case, what we say is I’ve managed it down to a microscopic level. There are no bad white blood cells, and that’s how we discuss the type of management that I do, which enables me to say that I’m healthy.”
A Deep Look Into The Powerful Drugs for Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs)
Abdul-Jabbar is also a prostate cancer survivor. In September 2020, he opened up about being diagnosed 11 years prior.
“I beat it because I was screened and it was detected early,” he said in a video for the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
In announcing his previous prostate cancer battle, Abdul-Jabbar also made sure to highlight the systemic racism that perpetuates our healthcare systems.
“I’ve been fortunate because my celebrity has brought me enough financial security to receive excellent medical attention. No one wants an NBA legend dying on their watch. Imagine the Yelp reviews,” he wrote. “I’m also lucky that one of my sons is an orthopedic surgeon and another is a hospital administrator. Dad gets to nag them for medical advice whenever he wants.
“But while I’m grateful for my advantages, I’m acutely aware that many others in the Black community do not have the same options and that it is my responsibility to join with those fighting to change that. Because Black lives are at risk. Serious risk.”
In March 2023, Abdul-Jabbar said he had been able to manage his atrial fibrillation, or AFib, symptoms and avoid any other issues since his diagnosis.
“[Hoping] to keep it that way,” he has been eating healthy, drinking more water and taking his medicines. “If I can do that, I can maintain my healthy lifestyle,” he said.
According to MedlinePlus, “Atrial fibrillation, also known as AFib or AF, is one of the most common types of arrhythmias. Arrhythmias are problems with the rate or rhythm of your heartbeat. They can cause your heart to beat too slowly, too fast, or in an irregular way.
“If you have AFib, your heart beats irregularly and sometimes much faster than normal. Also, your heart’s upper and lower chambers do not work together as they should. When this happens, the lower chambers do not fill completely or pump enough blood to your lungs and body. This can cause symptoms such as dizziness, fatigue, and a pounding heartbeat.”
Understanding CML
“What happens with CML is there is a cross of your chromosomes, so there is a cross between chromosome 9 and chromosome 22,” Dr. Eric Winer, clinical director of adult leukemia at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, previously SurvivorNet.
Crossing chromosomes leads to the creation of a gene called BRC-ABL, which eventually causes the overproduction of cells seen in CML.
Patients diagnosed early tend to have better outcomes.
“It’s important for patients diagnosed with CML to understand that their prognosis is quite favorable,” Dr. Jay Yang, hematologist, medical oncologist, and leader of the Hematology-Oncology Multidisciplinary Team at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, tells SurvivorNet.
“With modern treatments, most patients will go on to live healthy and productive lives with a normal life expectancy.”
RELATED: Understanding the Key Differences Between Acute and Chronic Myeloid Leukemias
WATCH: Diagnosing CML
Symptoms for CML are often vague, as many other ailments can cause them. However, common symptoms include:
- Weakness
- Fatigue
- Night sweats
- Weight loss
- Fever
- Bone pain
- An enlarged spleen (which may be felt as a mass under the left side of the ribcage)
- Pain or a sense of fullness in the stomach
- Feeling full after a small amount of food
WATCH: Clinical Trials Using CAR-T Cells Are Extremely Promising.
The treatment path that you and your doctor take may depend on several factors, including your age, overall health, and whether the cancer has spread or metastasized to other parts of the body. However, common treatment options to fight leukemia include:
- Chemotherapy
- Targeted therapy
- Radiation therapy
- Bone marrow or stem cell transplant
- Engineering immune cells to fight leukemia with CAR-T cell therapy, in which the body’s germ-fighting T cells are reengineered to fight the cancer and infused back into your body. CAR-T might be an option for children and young adults.
Targeted Treatment for CML
A particular treatment has proven effective for chronic myeloid leukemia. Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs) are a targeted therapy targeting CML cells while sparing healthy cells. It works by blocking abnormal proteins made by the CML cells, eventually killing them.
WATCH: Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Therapy
Dr. Eric Winer, Clinal Director for Adult Leukemia at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, explains to SurvivorNet how TKI treatment works in a way many video gamers can relate to.
“To oversimplify, imagine the videogame Pac-Man. These energy packets [Adenosine triphosphates (ATPs). These are energy stores within cells] that go into the mouth of the Pac-Man [BCR-ABL1 tyrosine kinase], causing it to change its conformation and shape [This] forces the CML cells to multiply. All of the TKIs block the entrance of the energy packet into the mouth of the Pac-Man, [so it] cannot change its confirmation,” Dr. Winer explains.
There are several TKIs on the market. Those approved as the first line of defense against CML include:
- Imatinib (brand name: Gleevec)
- Dasatinib (brand name: Sprycel)
- Nilotinib (brand name: Tasigna)
- Bosutinib (brand name: Bosulif)
- Ponatinib (brand name: Iclusig)
The future of CML treatment
“The biggest advance in CML in the past five years is not a treatment per se, but a lack of treatment,” Dr. Yang told SurvivorNet in an earlier interiew.
“We had previously thought all patients with CML needed to stay in treatment for the rest of their lives. We now know that a portion of patients with CML who have responded well to treatment and who have achieved a deep remission can potentially stop their treatment and stay in remission long-term. Unfortunately, this situation does not apply to all patients and should only be done under the careful supervision of their treating physician.”
Dr. Frances Arena, Medical Director at NYU Langone Arena Oncology and Integration, also previously told SurvivorNet. “I can say to some of my patients: ‘Let’ stop the medicine! Let’s stop the medicine!’ And in greater than 50% of patients, their CML will not recur.”
Researchers are currently investigating new strategies that may allow more patients to discontinue their treatment.
Navigating the Cost of Treatment
While there has been major progress in treating CML (with TKIs), the cost of treatment still remains an issue. Other than the medication itself, the cost also includes necessary follow-up, regular blood work, management of side effects from the treatments, and future need for chemotherapy or bone marrow transplants.
Most health insurance companies will cover CML medication and treatment costs, but your policy may not always cover everything. For example, some insurance companies will cover only one type of TKI. However, there are other options patients can consider if they are having issues with their insurance (or they do not have insurance).
“Can you imagine covering 80% of a drug that causes a hundred thousand per year? So that’s the reason that companies and, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and other societies such as CML Society try to help patients to overcome these financial problems,” Dr. Javier Pinilla, head of the Lymphoma Section at Moffitt Cancer Center, explains.
There are several options patients struggling to pay for treatment can consider, including:
- Asking for a financial counselor, social worker, and/or nurse navigator (at your cancer center) who can create a plan that works for you.
- Looking into your coverage to determine how much copays and other out-of-pocket costs may be beforehand.
- Discussing generic drug options with your doctor.
- Discussing the need to get prior authorization request with your doctor to determine whether the drug is covered.
- If your claim is denied, your doctor may also need to file an appeal with the insurance company. This can happen if you are prescribed a newer generation of TKI.
- You may be eligible for Medicare Part D or Medicaid even if you have health insurance.
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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