Staging
There is currently no formal staging system for Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). Doctors classify AML based on whether it is untreated, in remission, or recurrent.
Untreated
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Description
- Untreated AML includes all newly diagnosed patients who have not yet undergone treatment. These patients may have an abnormal blood count as well as signs and symptoms of AML. At least 20% of the cells in the patient's bone marrow or blood are blasts.
Treatment
- Chemotherapy, high-dose chemotherapy with stem-cell transplant.
In Remission
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Description
- This includes all patients who have gone through treatments and put their cancer into remission. In order for the cancer to be considered in remission, the patient must have a normal blood count and no symptoms, and the patient's bone marrow must have less than 5% blasts.
Treatment
- Combination chemotherapy, high-dose chemotherapy with stem-cell transplant and with or without radiation therapy.
Recurrent
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Description
- Recurrent AML includes all patients whose cancer has returned after being put into remission. These patients have a different outlook and require different treatments than newly diagnosed patients.
Treatment
- Combination chemotherapy, targeted therapy, high-dose chemotherapy with stem-cell transplant, clinical trials.
