● ● ● CLINICAL TRIALS Comment onMarzocchi et al, page 6793 Ph: not bad at all

The reciprocal translocation t(9;22) (q34;q11) that generates the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome is present inmost chronicmyeloid leukemia (CML) patients. How-ever, in 5 % to 10 % of newly diagnosed patients, a cytogenetic variant is observed.1 In this issue ofBlood,Marzocchi et al (on be-half of theGIMEMA [ItalianGroup forHe-matologicMalignancies of the Adults] CML Working Party) report for the first time a large systematic analysis of the role of variant Ph translocations in newly diagnosed CMLpa-tients in chronic phase. These variant transloca-tions implicate another breakpoint.2 The mechanisms of generation of the translocations are not fully understood. In addition, the prognostic implication of these cytogenetic abnormalities has been studiedby several groupswithnouniform and clear conclusions.3,4The analysis byMarzoc