Influence of cigarette smoking on the presentation and course of chronic myelogenous leukemia.

It is known that cigarette smoking induces leukocytosis and increased genetic instability in normal individuals. Therefore, a retrospective review was conducted of 173 patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia to detect a possible influence of cigarette smoking on initial characteristics at the time of presentation and on the course of this disease. Thirty-nine patients (23%) were smoking 5 cigarettes/d or more at time of diagnosis.