| Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) |
| This page is dedicated to my late grandmother, Laura Virginia "Breezy" Schmitt, who left this earth on July 26, 2003 after a short battle with adult AML. Grandma Breezy was truly a gift from God and I'm very blessed to have had her as my grandmother. |
| What is acute myleoid leukemia? |
| Leukemia simply refers to cancer of the blood. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a disease in which cancer cells are found in the blood and bone marrow. The term acute means this disease progresses quickly. AML is the most common type of acute leukemia in adults. The bone marrow is the spongy tissue inside the large bones of the body. The bone marrow makes red blood cells, which carry oxygen and other materials to all tissues of the body, white blood cells, which fight infection, and platelets, which make the blood clot. Normally, the bone marrow makes cells called blasts. These blasts that mature into several different types of blood cells that have specific jobs in the body. AML affects the blasts that are developing into white blood cells. In AML, the blasts do not mature , but they multiply quickly. These immature blast cells are then found in the blood and the bone marrow. These blasts are also called leukemia cells. The leukemia cells are unable to do their usual work and can build up in the bone marrow and blood so there is less room for healthy white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. When this happens, infection, anemia, or easy bleeding may occur. The leukemia cells can spread outside the blood to other parts of the body, including the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), skin, and gums. |
| What are the signs and symptoms of acute myleoid leukemia? |
| Acute myleoid leukemia is often difficult to diagnose. The early signs of this disease may be similar to the flu. Some of the signs and symptoms include: fever, weakness or tiredness, or achiness in the bones or joints, feeling tired, bruising or bleeding easily, shortness of breath, loss of appetite, or weight loss. Smoking, previous chemotherapy treatment, and exposure to radiation may affect the risk of developing adult AML. Possible risk factors for AML include the following: Being male, smoking, especially after 60 years of age, having had treatment with chemotherapy or radiation therapy in the past, having had treatment for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia in the past, being exposed to atomic bomb radiation or the chemical benzene, having a history of a blood disorder. |
| What research has been done? |
| What are the treatment options? |
| What support groups are available? (CLICK ON THE PICTUES) |
| Information and Links About AML (CLICK ON THE PICTURES) |
| Treatment Options for Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia Combination chemotherapy High-dose combination chemotherapy Stem cell transplantation using donor stem cells All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) plus chemotherapy Intrathecal chemotherapy. Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia in Remission Standard treatment of adult AML during the remission phase depends on the subtype of AML and may include the following: Combination chemotherapy. High-dose chemotherapy, with or without radiation therapy, and stem cell transplantation using the patient's stem cells. High-dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation using donor stem cells. Information about ongoing clinical trials is available from the NCI Cancer.gov Web site. Recurrent Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia Standard treatment of recurrent adult AML depends on the subtype of AML and may include the following: Combination chemotherapy. Biologic therapy with monoclonal antibodies. Stem cell transplantation. Low-dose radiation therapy as palliative therapy to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life. Arsenic trioxide therapy. |
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