label: Chronic leukemia
label_lc: chronic leukemia
description: A slowly progressing leukemia characterized by a clonal (malignant) proliferation of maturing and mature myeloid cells or mature lymphocytes. When the clonal cellular population is composed of myeloid cells, the process is called chronic myelogenous leukemia. When the clonal cellular population is composed of lymphocytes, it is classified as chronic lymphocytic leukemia, hairy cell leukemia, or T-cell large granular lymphocyte leukemia.