Journal of Leukemia
Open Access

A Short Note on Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Camille Mart^{* *}Correspondence: Camille Mart, Department of Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, Email:

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About the Study

Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) is a kind of blood cancer characterized by the fast proliferation of aberrant cells in the bone marrow and blood, interfering with normal blood cell formation. Tiredness, shortness of breath, easy bruising and bleeding, and an increased risk of infection are all possible symptoms. AML spreads to the brain, skin, and gums. As an acute leukaemia, it advances quickly and is usually deadly within weeks or months if left untreated. Smoking, past chemotherapy or radiation therapy, myelodysplastic syndrome, and benzene exposure are all risk factors.

The underlying mechanism includes leukaemia cells replacing normal bone marrow cells, resulting in a decrease in red blood cells, platelets, and normal white blood cells. Diagnosis is generally based on bone marrow aspiration and specific blood tests. AML has several subtypes for which treatments and outcomes may vary. Chemotherapy is typically the first-line treatment for AML, with the goal of producing remission. Following that, they may need further chemotherapy, radiation treatment, or a stem cell transplant. The exact genetic alterations found in cancer cells may be used to guide treatment and predict how long a person will live.

In 2015, AML afflicted approximately one million people worldwide, resulting in 147,000 fatalities. It is more frequent among senior citizens. Males are more likely to be impacted than females. People under the age of 60 have a five-year survival rate of roughly 35%, while those over 60 have a five-year survival rate of 10%. The average survival time for older adults whose health is too bad for intense treatment is 5 to 10 months. In the United States, it accounts for around 1.1 percent of all cancer diagnoses and 1.9 percent of cancer fatalities. Rudolf Virchow, a prominent German pathologist, invented the word "leukaemia" in 1856. Virchow was the first to describe the aberrant excess of white blood cells in persons with the clinical condition described by Velpeau and Bennett, as a pioneer in the use of the light microscope in pathology. Because Virchow was unsure of the cause of the extra white blood cells, he coined the name "leukaemia" (Greek for "white blood") to describe the illness.

The majority of the signs and symptoms of AML are caused by a lack of room in the bone marrow for normal blood cells to form. People who do not produce enough white blood cells are more susceptible to illnesses. Anemia, or a low red blood cell count, can induce pallor, shortness of breath, and heart palpitations.

Platelet deficiency can cause easy bruising, nasal bleeding (epistaxis), tiny blood capillaries on the skin (petechiae) or gums, and bleeding from little trauma. Fever, weariness beyond what may be ascribed to anemia alone, weight loss, and loss of appetite are all possible signs. Spleen enlargement is possible in AML, however it is usually minor and asymptomatic. Except for AMML, lymph node enlargement is uncommon in most forms of AML. Leukemia cutis, Sweet's syndrome, or non-specific symptoms such as flat lesions (macules), elevated lesion papules), pyoderma gangrenosum, and vasculitis can all affect the skin. Because of the invasion of leukemic cells into the gum tissue, some persons with AML may have gum edema. Other sections of the body, such as the gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract, and other organs, may be involved, but this is uncommon. The involvement of the meninges around the central nervous system is one area where therapy is very important.