Highlights Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML), also known as the chronic myelomonocytic leukemia of infancy, and juvenile chronic myelogenous leukemia, is a rare form of blood cancer in children that accounts for approximately 2-3% of all childhood leukemias. The characteristic feature of JMML is the uncontrolled growth of immature monocytes. Pathogenesis: What happens to the immature monocytes? Etiology Mutation in the gene or chromosomal structure of the DNA alters the function of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes that lead to cancerous conditions.
Under normal conditions, these genes control cell growth and cell division, respectively. The following cytogenetic changes are known to occur in JMML: Nearly 10% of cases are not identified with any gene mutation. In addition, cases with additional secondary mutations have a poorer prognosis than those with single…
