- Patients must be registered on this study within 180 days after the date of first being diagnosed with CML, based on a cytogenetic or molecular analysis of peripheral blood or bone marrow, demonstrating the presence of the Philadelphia chromosome or variants of the (9;22) translocation or testing positive for Bcr-Abl by real time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR); patients may have secondary chromosomal abnormalities in addition to the Philadelphia chromosome and remain eligible