biostudies-literatureUnknown199(5)Copland MDespite the success of BCR-ABL-specific tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) such as imatinib in chronic phase (CP) chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), patients with blast phase (BP)-CML continue to have a dismal outcome with median survival of less than one year from diagnosis. Thus BP-CML remains a critical unmet clinical need in the management of CML. Our understanding of the biology of BP-CML continues to grow; genomic instability leads to acquisition of mutations which drive leukaemic progenitor cells to develop self-renewal properties, resulting in differentiation block and a poor-prognosis acute leukaemia which may be myeloid, lymphoid or bi-phenotypic. Similar advances in therapy are urgently needed to improve patient outcomes; however, this is challenging given the rarity and heterogeneBritish journal of haematology665-678https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9796596biostudies-literatureTreatment of blast phase chronic myeloid leukaemia: A rare and challenging entity.PMC9796596Copland MfalseTreatment of blast phase chronic myeloid leukaemia: A rare and challenging entity.Despite the success of BCR-ABL-specific tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) such as imatinib in chronic phase (CP) chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), patients with blast phase (BP)-CML continue to have a dismal outcome with median survival of less than one year from diagnosis. Thus BP-CML remains a critical unmet clinical need in the management of CML. Our understanding of the biology of BP-CML continues to grow; genomic instability leads to acquisition of mutations which drive leukaemic progenitor cells to develop self-renewal properties, resulting in differentiation block and a poor-prognosis acute leukaemia which may be myeloid, lymphoid or bi-phenotypic. Similar advances in therapy are urgently needed to improve patient outcomes; however, this is challenging given the rarity and heterogene2022-01-01T00:00:00Z2022 Dec2025-04-22T10:12:10.18Z2025-04-05T23:28:09.352ZS-EPMC97965963586625110.1111/bjh.18370