The prognostic value of different factors upon diagnosis of CML was analysed in 45 Philadelphia (Ph1)-positive patients. The median survival was 48 months. Univariate analysis showed 5 poor prognostic factors (male sex, under 45 years-old, bone marrow blasts greater than or equal to 10 percent, blood basophils greater than or equal to 6 percent and blood eosinophils greater than or equal to 6 percent) which provided for the development of a clinical staging system: Stage I with none or one factor and a two-year survival rate of 100 percent; Stage II with two or three factors and two-year survival of 72.2 percent; and Stage III with four or five factors and two-year survival of 0 percent (p = 0.00016). Multivariate survival analysis showed that combination of blood basophilia and bone marrow blasts had the strongest predictive relationship to survival time. We conclude that a combination of pretreatment factors identifies different risk subcategories in CML patients and is helpful in assessing the overall prognosis and the treatment approach.