Molecular diagnosis of chronic myeloid leukemia using a 3'bcr probe.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is characterized by the Philadelphia chromosome which results from a reciprocal (9; 22) translocation, with the protooncogene c-abl moving from chromosome 9 to 22 and juxtaposed to the proximal bcr. Breakpoints on chromosome 22 are localized within 5.8 kb of the breakpoint cluster region (bcr).