They are distinguished from each other based on numbers and types of leukemia cells in the blood, appearance of leukemia cells in the blood and bone marrow cells and cytogenetic and molecular abnormalities including absence of t(9:22) and BCR/ABL1 and rearrangement of platelet-derived growth factor receptor, alpha polypeptide (PDGFRA), platelet-derived growth factor receptor, beta polypeptide (PDGFRB) or fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1). The gene discussed is PDGFRA; the disease is leukemia.