What is Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)?

Leukemia is cancer that forms in your bone marrow, the soft, spongy tissue inside your bones where blood cells are produced. Your bone marrow contains immature, blood-forming stem cells that eventually develop into mature red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. In Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), too many of the blood-forming stem-cells in your bone marrow develop into abnormal, immature white blood cells called "myeloblasts." AML is "acute" because it is very aggressive and progresses rapidly. AML is "myeloid" because the myeloblasts develop from myeloid stem cells. These abnormal, immature cells do not function properly and can crowd out your healthy blood cells causing conditions like anemia (low red blood cells), leukopenia (low white blood cells), and thrombocytopenia (low platelets). White blood cells (WBC) are divided into different sub-types among them neutrophils and lymphocytes. WBC constitute our immune system that fights bacterial, viral, and fungal infections. In AML, the myeloblasts can build up in the body and prevent the WBC from growing and maturing properly. These abnormal, immature WBC cannot fight infection as well as healthy WBC.

AML is the second most common form of leukemia in the United States, with about 19,500 new cases each year, mostly in adults. AML is aggressive and may progress rapidly, starting in the bone marrow and quickly spreading to the blood, lymph system, and other organs. This disease is very serious and one should seek immediate medical attention. This disease can be fatal within weeks to months without proper treatment.