Acute Myelogenous Leukemia

Synonyms

Acute myeloid leukemia; AML

Definition

Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is a form of cancer of the white blood cells (leukocytes). It is a relatively rare cancer that occurs more commonly in adults than in children, with more men affected than women. The median age at diagnosis is 63 years.

Current Knowledge

Symptoms

Acute forms of leukemia are characterized by the rapid proliferation of immature blood cells which rapidly crowd out mature, functional cells. In AML, the cell type is granuloid, whose cancerous change disrupts its normal ability to form red cells, some types of white cells, and platelets. Resulting symptoms are anemia, easy bruising and bleeding, and disruption to the body’s ability to resist infection. Impaired cognition and fatigue are also strongly associated with AML. Whereas impairments in these areas have been attributed to effects of chemotherapy, recent research by Meyers, Albitar, and Estey (2005) has identified differing cytokine levels present prior...