What is Acute Myeloid Leukemia and the Typical Features?
Acute myeloid leukemia, also known as acute myelogenous leukemia or acute nonlymphocytic leukemia, is a form of cancer that affects the bone marrow and blood. The bone marrow is the spongy tissue in bones that produces blood. As the name of the condition has the term “acute”, it indicates that the condition may progress very quickly. This disease affects myeloid cells, a group of white blood cells that typically develop into different kinds of mature blood cells like platelets, red blood cells, and white blood cells. [1]
Acute myeloid leukemia tends to progress rapidly. It begins in myeloblast, an immature blood cell. Under normal conditions, these cells may develop into the full form of white blood cells, such as monocytes or granulocytes. Nevertheless, in those with the disease, the myeloblasts remain in the immature state and grow uncontrollably. While healthy cells have a specific lifespan, cancerous cells may replicate and grow without end. With acute myeloid leukemia, cancerous blood cells subsequently dominate the healthy ones and affect the production of blood cells. The condition mainly affects the elderly. [2]
