AML, (acute myelogenous leukemia), is an aggressive cancer of the bone marrow and blood. It is the most common type of leukemia. AML is also known by the following names-acute myeloblastic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, acute granulocytic leukemia or acute nonlymphocytic leukemia. Blood cells are malformed and useless. The cells can accumulate in parts of the body.
Acute myelogenous leukemia statistics
*Rare in people under 40 years old
*More common in men than in women
*Average age is 65 years old
*5-year survival rate
*under 65 years old-33%
*over 65 years old-4%
*2007 it is predicted there will be 13,000 cases (majority will be adults)
The symptoms of acute myelogenous leukemia include abnormal blood counts, a general run-down, unwell feeling that never gets better, reoccurring infections, swollen lymph nodes, and bone/ joint pain. Symptoms are acute (comes on suddenly, and accelerates quickly) instead of chronic (mild symptoms that gradually worsen over years).
When the malformed cells collect around parts of the body, it can cause skin, lung, central nervous system, kidney, and even testicle problems. Initially, acute myelogenous leukemia may mimic other conditions. Blood tests identify the possibility of AML. The final diagnosis is usually made after a bone marrow test and sometimes by a spinal tap, also known as a lumbar (lower spine) puncture (LP).
There are several types treatments available, one or more will be used to treat a dignosis of AML.
Chemotherapy-strong drugs taken orally or intravenously that kills the cancer cells. Occasionally it's injected directly into the spine. It is a systemic treatment because it travels throughout the whole body.
Radiation-high energy rays like X-rays kill the cancer cells
Bone marrow transplants-unhealthy cancer producing bone marrow is destroyed and replaced with matching bone marrow.
Immunotherapy-stimulates the immune system to destroy cancer cells or boosts natural defenses. It can be a made naturally or artificially.
Risk factors for AML
*Previous chemotherapy or radiation treatments
*Exposure to radiation and chemicals like benzene
*Genetic disorders like Downs Syndrome
*Smoking
*Blood disorders like myelodysplasia.
People with risk factors should watch more closely for symptoms of AML because early treatment increases survival rate.
Acute Myelogenous Leukemia Prognosis
In patients suffering from acute leukemia things can go from better to worse in just a split second so that is why treatment and medication must begin as soon as symptoms may appear and the person's health starts deteriorating. Still doctors must be extremely careful when prescribing certain drugs and planning the treatment for people. Risk factors must always be kept in mind if chances for recovery are to exist. Age, state of health and of course the type of leukemia that the patient has are some of this risk factors that the doctor should pay attention to. Treatments should be very different for children in comparison to people older than 60.
There are certain steps and events that a patient must take in his way to recovery. Chemotherapy is in most of the cases the first action that is taken against the dancer that is the rapidly diving cancer cells. A very good idea would be the transplant of some bone marrow or cord blood from a matching healthy donor to the ill patient. Sometimes the usage of monoclonal antibodies is needed. These specially designed antibodies are programmed to attack the bad leukemia cells helping this way the immune system to deal with other problems such as infection that may appear. Newer experimental drugs have been developed but are not yet available on the market, the fact being that they haven't yet been tried in clinical trials. If information about this drugs reaches a patient and he wants to contact the people doing the experiments, help should be looked after in doctors.
The patient should always be involved in the choosing of the treatment along with the doctors. If he or she desires to take on a clinical trial the doctor should be noticed in order to properly asses the dangers and risks that exist. Clinical trials are still being made on current used drugs for a better understanding of their action and witch are more affective than others.
As said earlier the first step in treating acute leukemia is to apply chemotherapy on the patient in order to get the disease in to remission; this is when the number of white and red blood cells along with the platelets return to a normal steady count as in an normal healthy human. The bone marrow also experiences some good things in this the fact being that after the remission the signs of the disease are no longer present.
Doctors must always be present and checked with if any good decision is to be made.
Both Roberto Bell & Groshan Fabiola are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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