Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is a malignant myeloproliferative disorder of hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow.

The natural history is progression from a chronic phase with no or few symptoms that may last 3–5 years. There then follows an accelerated myeloproliferative phase manifested by worsening anemia and poor response to therapy. This phase may last up to 12 months. Finally, there is a short terminal blastic or acute transformation stage characterized by elevated numbers of blast cells and multiple complications such as sepsis and bleeding. This stage may last only a few months.

CML is a clonal disorder and the leukemic cells of 95% of patients will have a distinctive cytogenetic abnormality, the Philadelphia chromosome. The Philadelphia chromosome is formed by a reciprocal translocation between the long arms of chromosomes 9 and 22.

Rare patients do not present with the Philadelphia chromosome and these patients have a worse prognosis. This mutation results in the production of an abnormal tyrosine kinase related to the disordered myelopoiesis found in chronic myelogenous leukemia.

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is a group of malignant diseases that arise from the lymphoid system. NHLs are the fifth most common malignancy in both men and women. The prevalence of NHL increases with age; most NHL patients are over age 60.

Most patients present with painless lymphadenopathy. Patients may also present with 'B' symptoms: fever, night sweats and unexplained weight loss.

Clinically, it is convenient to divide NHLs into three categories: indolent, aggressive, and highly aggressive. Alternatively, clinicians may usefully consider types of NHL as being of low, moderate, and high-grade type.

Almost all lymphomas respond to chemotherapy. Aggressive lymphomas will often respond to chemotherapy and can be cured. Indolent lymphomas are less chemoresponsive; however, patients can survive for up to 10 years or longer

Hodgkin's lymphoma is a malignant tumor of the lymphatic system that can occur at all ages.

It presents with painless lymphadenopathy, fever, and weight loss and characterized histologically by the presence of multinucleated giant cells (Reed-Sternberg cells) and associated abnormal and smaller mononuclear cells originating from B lymphocytes in germinal centers of lymphoid tissue.

There are several types and accurate classification of the type, together with accurate staging of the disease, will determine the most favorable treatment options and prognosis.

It is eminently treatable and overall prognosis for cure is very good, especially in children.

Multiple myeloma results from neoplasm of mature and immature plasma cells. It classically involves the bone marrow and skeleton. Symptoms result from marrow replacement, bone destruction, and production of monoclonal antibodies or antibody fragments. The disease typically presents with recurrent bacterial infections, anemia, osteolytic lesions, hypercalcemia, and renal insufficiency.

Chemotherapy is standard treatment but is not curative. Autologous stem cell transplant (also known as high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell rescue) can prolong survival of patients with multiple myeloma but is not curative. Allogeneic stem cell transplant has the potential to be curative but is associated with very high transplant-related mortality in patients with multiple myeloma.