Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is a rapidly progressing leukemia that originates in the myeloid cells. These cells are made in the bone marrow, the soft spongy inner part of the bone. AML can quickly spread from the bone marrow into the blood allowing it to affect other parts of the body.
Normally, the bone marrow makes blood stem cells that become mature blood cells over time. A blood stem cell may become a myeloid stem cell or a lymphoid stem cell.
A myeloid stem cell becomes one of three types of mature blood cells:
In AML, the myeloid stem cells usually become a type of immature white blood cell called myeloblasts. You will also hear of these cells being referred to as "blasts" or "leukemia cells". The myeloblasts in AML are abnormal and do not go on to become healthy white blood cells. Sometimes in AML, too many stem cells also become abnormal red blood cells or platelets. When leukemia cells build up in the bone marrow and bloodstream, there is less room for healthy white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets.
These changes in the blood cells can lead to complications such as:
These complications often cause symptoms such as weakness, fatigue and bone pain.
Without treatment, AML can spread quickly to other parts of the body such as the:
There are many different names for AML, but they all refer to the same disease. It is commonly referred to as Acute Myelogenous Leukemia or Acute Myeloid Leukemia. The word “acute” refers to a disease of rapid progression. AML is sometimes also called acute granulocytic leukemia or acute nonlymphocytic leukemia.
While we don’t know exactly what causes AML at this point in time, we do know that certain people are more prone to the development of this cancer due to certain modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors.
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