A blast crisis or lymphoid blast crisis refers to the transition of chronic or accelerated phase chronic myeloid leukemia to acute leukemia. It is usually characterized by
- ≥30% blasts in the bone marrow or peripheral blood
or - development of extramedullary disease outside of the spleen
Among patients with transformation
- 20-30% will develop a blast crisis with lymphoid-associated antigens (Ly-BC)
- 70-80% will develop a blast crisis with myeloid-associated antigens (My-BC) or with both (Mix-BC) 2
Treatment and prognosis
Traditionally considered incurable although tyrosine kinase therapy or allogeneic transplantation may halt progression 3.
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