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CASE REPORT article

Front. Oncol.

Sec. Hematologic Malignancies

A Case Report Focusing on Diagnosis and Intervention of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia in Blast Crisis (Acute Megakaryoblastic Leukemia Subtype)

Provisionally accepted
Long  LiuLong Liu1Yang  XiaoYang Xiao1Na  CuiNa Cui2LIping  ZhangLIping Zhang1Lijing  WangLijing Wang1Cheng  GaoCheng Gao2Jingfei  ShiJingfei Shi3Changyong  YuanChangyong Yuan1Cui  ChaoCui Chao1*
  • 1Qilu Hospital of Shandong University Dezhou Hospital, Nanjing, China
  • 2Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, China
  • 3Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

Objectives To report a chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) blast crisis case, accurately diagnose its subtype, explore suitable treatment considering patient factors, and emphasize multidisciplinary diagnosis importance. Methods Diagnosis relied on multiple approaches: bone marrow morphology, immunophenotyping, chromosomal karyotype analysis, and fusion gene detection to identify the subtype of CML blast crisis. Given the patient's financial constraints and drug availability, the third - generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) orelabatinib was chosen for treatment. Minimal residual disease (MRD) was rechecked two weeks after initiating therapy to assess treatment efficacy. Results The patient was diagnosed with CML blast crisis of the acute megakaryoblastic leukemia subtype (M7), presenting with BCR/ABL1 fusion gene positivity, complex karyotypic abnormalities, and secondary myelofibrosis. After two weeks of orelabatinib treatment, MRD levels significantly declined, demonstrating the therapy's effectiveness. Discussion This case underscores the necessity of multidisciplinary collaboration for accurate diagnosis. Treatment selection for rare subtypes like M7 requires balancing medical need with patient - specific factors. The successful reduction in MRD validates the rationality of orelabatinib use, yet more research on treatment options for rare subtypes is warranted. Conclusion Multidisciplinary methods are crucial for diagnosing CML blast crisis. Orelabatinib shows efficacy, and more research on personalized treatment is needed.

Keywords: Chronic myeloid leukemia blast crisis, acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (M7), BCR/ABL1 fusion gene, orelabatinib, case report

Received: 23 Sep 2025; Accepted: 30 Oct 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Liu, Xiao, Cui, Zhang, Wang, Gao, Shi, Yuan and Chao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Cui Chao, hbkjcuichao@126.com

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