Acute Myeloid Leukemia
(AML) is a type of blood cancer. AML occurs more frequently in adults than in children, but all age groups are capable of contracting the disease. AML begins when one blood cell changes in the bone marrow. A changed cell is known as a "blast cell," and as the disease progresses these cells take over. It must be noted that many of the symptoms listed below are also connected to other diseases. You should always consult with a health care professional to determine the cause of your symptoms.
Identification
According to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the symptoms of AML include:
"Tiredness or no energy
Shortness of breath during physical activity
Pale skin
Swollen gums
Slow healing of cuts
Pinhead-size red spots under the skin
Prolonged bleeding from minor cuts
Mild fever
Black-and-blue marks (bruises) with no clear cause
Aches in bones or knees, hips or shoulder."
Types
AML has eight subtypes. Cells in blood or marrow are used to determine these subtypes and a treatment plan is created based on that subtype.
The subtypes are determined based on a number of factors. Doctors look at the maturity of the cancer cells; determine how many changes have occurred within the cancer cells' DNA and compare cancer cells to regular cells.
Considerations
According to MayoClinic.com, AML is known by several other names. "Acute myelogenous leukemia is also known as acute myeloid leukemia, acute myeloblastic leukemia, acute granulocytic leukemia and acute nonlymphocytic leukemia."
AML was named because "it affects a group of white blood cells called the myeloid cells, which normally develop into the various types of mature blood cells, such as red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets."
Prevention/Solution
Chemotherapy is administered during the initial treatment of AML. The goal of leukemia treatment is to knock out the leukemia cells and bring blood counts back to a normal level over a period of time. Known as induction therapy, this treatment is done while a patient is in the hospital, usually for a number of weeks. When the blood is back to "normal" a patient is considered in remission.
Consolidation therapy is used to get rid of any stray leukemia cells following the chemotherapy. This type of therapy is also done in a hospital setting.
Expert Insight
Dr. Allen S. Yang, assistant professor in the Division of Hematology, University of Southern California, offers tips to those who have AML on the revolutionhealth website. "If you've just been diagnosed with AML, it's important to find out how much experience any of the hospitals you're considering have in treating people with this disease. People who have AML will likely need chemotherapy treatments for several months as well blood transfusions and other types of specialty care. Smaller facilities may not have the same level of expertise in these areas as larger ones. In addition, it's important to find out if a hospital does bone marrow transplants---which may be necessary."
Tags: blood cells, cancer cells, leukemia acute, Acute Myeloid, Acute Myeloid Leukemia