Acute Myelogenous Leukemia
Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is a type of cancer that affects the blood cells in bone marrow. AML is also referred to as acute myeloid leukemia. AML is the most commonly diagnosed form of leukemia in adults, mostly affecting those over 70 years of age.
Myeloid leukemia comes in two forms: acute and chronic. While the early stages of acute myeloid leukemia can appear suddenly, the onset of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) can take several years.
AML - Blood Cells and Bone Marrow
The bone marrow is responsible for producing stem cells that mature into one of three blood cell types:
- White blood cells: fight off infections and diseases.
- Red blood cells: carry oxygen and other nutrients to body tissues.
- Platelets: responsible for coagulating blood.
AML sufferers produce abnormal white blood cells that do not fully develop into mature white blood cells. These immature white blood cells are called myeloid blasts, or myeloblasts. There is little room for the production of normal cells when myeloid blasts, abnormal red blood cells and platelets are overproduced. These abnormal blood cells are often called leukemia cells.
Acute Myelogenous Leukemia Causes
Acute myelogenous leukemia has causes that are not entirely known. However, researchers have definitively linked AML with exposure to benzene. Benzene is used for a variety of industrial and commercial purposes. Because of this, people routinely come in contact with varied levels of the volatile solvent, usually where they work.
Employers that use benzene or benzene-laden materials are responsible for their employees safety. Failure to minimize exposure, notify employees of dangerous conditions and keep employees healthy are grounds for legal action. Benzene lawsuits compensate victims for pain, suffering and legal expenses incurred as a result of an employer's negligence. Contact a benzene lawyer to get additional information about your rights.
Acute Myelogenous Leukemia Symptoms
AML develops suddenly and rapidly, often reaching a dangerous stage shortly after a patient shows symptoms. Acute myelogenous leukemia has a number of symptoms, most of which appear because the disease produces extra malignant white blood cells.
A few of the most common AML symptoms include:
- Red blood cell deficiency (anemia)
- General fatigue
- Fever
- Shortness of breath (dyspnea)
- Easy bruising
- Bleeding
- Chronic infections
- Weight fluctuations
Many of the AML symptoms listed above can be mistakenly attributed to the common cold, flu or other less serious illnesses. As such, AML may not be diagnosed early and lead to serious illness or death.
Diagnosing Acute Myelogenous Leukemia
A patient who develops symptoms will most often be diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia. Most AML sufferers complain of chronic bleeding and fatigue. Many have developed an infection that has not gone away.
A doctor can discover the potential of myelogenous leukemia through blood test results. AML sufferers have a high count of malignant white blood cells and an extremely low count of red blood cells. After blood work is complete, a bone marrow aspiration or myeloid tissue biopsy can identify AML as the cause of the blood cell deficiency. The stage of the cancer can also be detected, allowing doctor and patient to start considering prognosis and treatment options.
Acute Myelogenous Leukemia - Prognosis and Treatment
AML is a fatal disease, but it is treatable if diagnosed at an early stage. Acute myelogenous leukemia patients are most often treated with induction chemotherapy and post-remission chemotherapy.
Induction chemotherapy refers to the initial drug treatment for acute myelogenous leukemia. A chemotherapy drug called cytarabine (ara-C) is often used in conjunction with a drug called daunorubicin. After induction chemotherapy is performed, approximately 50 to 75% of adult AML sufferers experience complete remission. This determination can be made by examining bone marrow.
Post-remission chemotherapy is the second phase of AML treatment, with the goal of eliminating any lingering or undetectable cancer cells unaffected by induction chemotherapy. If an AML relapse is feared, a bone marrow transplant is an aggressive form of post-remission treatment. Approximately 70 to 80% of AML patients relapse.
Other treatment options are continuously being researched to increase AML survival rate and/or to find a cure for acute myelogenous leukemia.
Acute Myelogenous Leukemia: Legal Remedies
While in some cases the cause of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) cannot be identified, in other situations it can be recognized relatively easily. For example, exposure to benzene has been linked to the onset of AML symptoms in both children and adults. In the latter case, benzene lawyers might be able to help victims obtain rightful compensation through personal injury lawsuits. Some of the best benzene personal injury law firms also specialize in other areas of law, such as representing clients in need of an experienced birth injury lawyer, auto accident attorney and/or DUI lawyer.