In chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), what is the term for the event likely leading to death?

In chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), the term "blast crisis" refers to a critical event where the disease transforms into an acute phase characterized by an increase in the number of myeloid blast cells. This progression signifies that the disease has advanced and is no longer responding to standard treatments, leading to a significantly worsened prognosis. During the blast crisis, patients often experience severe symptoms due to the high levels of immature white blood cells, which can hinder the production of normal blood cells, resulting in severe anemia, thrombocytopenia, and increased risk of infections.

The transformation to blast crisis is a hallmark of CML and represents a point of major clinical concern, as it can rapidly result in multi-organ failure and death if not managed aggressively. Although hematologic failure, acute leukemia, and myelodysplastic syndrome are serious complications related to hematological malignancies, they do not specifically denote the transformation seen in CML. Thus, "blast crisis" is the correct term associated with the life-threatening progression of chronic myeloid leukemia.