Adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a type of cancer in which the bone marrow makes a large number of abnormal blood cells.
AML is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow. It is the most common type of acute leukemia in adults. This type of cancer usually gets worse quickly if it is not treated. AML is also called acute myelogenous leukemia and acute nonlymphocytic leukemia.
Anatomy of the bone. The bone is made up of compact bone, spongy bone, and bone marrow. Compact bone makes up the outer layer of the bone. Spongy bone is found mostly at the ends of bones and contains red marrow. Bone marrow is found in the center of most bones and has many blood vessels. There are two types of bone marrow: red and yellow. Red marrow contains blood stem cells that can become red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets. Yellow marrow is made mostly of fat.
Leukemia may affect red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
The bone marrow and thymus make blood stem cells (immature cells) that become mature blood cells over time. A blood stem cell may become a myeloid stem cell or a lymphoid stem cell.
Myeloid stem cells go through several stages of development in the bone marrow before fully maturing into:
Blood cell development. A blood stem cell goes through several steps to become a red blood cell, platelet, or white blood cell.
In AML, there is an increase in the number of immature white blood cells called myeloblasts (or myeloid blasts). The myeloblasts in AML are abnormal and do not become healthy white blood cells. As the number of these cells, also called leukemia cells, increases in the blood and bone marrow, there is less room for healthy platelets, red blood cells, and other white blood cells. This may lead to easy bleeding, anemia, and infection.
The leukemia cells can spread outside the blood to other parts of the body, including the central nervous system (CNS; brain and spinal cord), skin, and gums. Sometimes leukemia cells form a solid tumor called a myeloid sarcoma. Myeloid sarcoma is also called extramedullary myeloid tumor, granulocytic sarcoma, or chloroma.
There are different subtypes of AML.
Most AML subtypes are based on how mature (developed) the cancer cells are at the time of diagnosis, and how different they are from normal cells.
Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is a subtype of AML. This leukemia occurs when genes on chromosome 15 switch places with some genes on chromosome 17, and an abnormal gene called PML::RARA is made. The PML::RARA gene sends a message that stops promyelocytes (a type of white blood cell) from maturing. Problems with severe bleeding and blood clots may occur. This is a serious health problem that needs treatment as soon as possible. APL usually occurs in middle-aged adults.
Smoking, previous chemotherapy treatment, and exposure to radiation may increase the risk of AML.
AML is caused by certain changes to the way blood stem cells function, especially how they grow and divide into new cells. A risk factor is anything that increases the chance of getting a disease. Some risk factors for AML, like smoking, can be changed. However, risk factors also include things people cannot change, like their genetics, getting older, and their health history.
There are many risk factors for AML, but many do not directly cause cancer. Instead, they increase the chance of DNA damage in cells that may lead to AML. To learn more about how cancer develops, see
Having one or more of these risk factors does not mean that you will get AML. Many people with risk factors never develop AML, while others with no known risk factors do.
Possible risk factors for AML include:
Talk with your doctor if you think you may be at risk.
Signs and symptoms of AML include fever, feeling tired, and easy bruising or bleeding.
The early signs and symptoms of AML may be like those caused by the flu or other common diseases. Check with your doctor if you have:
Less common signs or symptoms may be caused by clusters of leukemia cells in the CNS or testicles, or a tumor of myeloid cells called a chloroma.
Symptoms of acute leukemia often develop between 4 and 6 weeks before diagnosis.
Tests that examine the blood and bone marrow are used to diagnose AML.
In addition to asking about your personal and family health history and doing a physical exam, your doctor may perform the following tests and procedures:
After AML has been diagnosed, tests are done to find out if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
The following tests and procedures may be used to determine if the leukemia has spread outside the blood and bone marrow:
Some people decide to get a second opinion.
You may want to get a second opinion to confirm your AML diagnosis and treatment plan. If you seek a second opinion, you will need to get medical test results and reports from the first doctor to share with the second doctor. The second doctor will review the pathology report, slides, and scans. They may agree with the first doctor, suggest changes or another treatment approach, or provide more information about your cancer.
To learn more about choosing a doctor and getting a second opinion, see
Certain factors affect prognosis (chance of recovery) and treatment options.
The prognosis and treatment options for AML depend on many factors:
It is important that AML be treated right away.
There is no standard staging system for acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
The extent or spread of cancer is usually described as stages. Instead of stages, AML treatment is based on one or more of the following:
Newly diagnosed (untreated) AML
In untreated AML, the disease is newly diagnosed. It has not been treated except to relieve signs and symptoms such as fever, bleeding, or pain, and the following are true:
AML in remission
In AML in remission, the disease has been treated and the following are true:
Refractory or recurrent AML
After treatment with chemotherapy, some people with newly diagnosed AML will not go into remission. This is called refractory cancer. In contrast, recurrent AML is cancer that has recurred (come back) after remission. The AML may come back in the blood or bone marrow.
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There are different types of treatment for people with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
Different types of treatments are available for people with AML. You and your cancer care team will work together to decide your treatment plan, which may include more than one type of treatment. Many factors will be considered, such as the phase of the cancer, your overall health, and your preferences. Your plan will include information about your cancer, the goals of treatment, your treatment options and the possible side effects, and the expected length of treatment.
Talking with your cancer care team before treatment begins about what to expect will be helpful. You'll want to learn what you need to do before treatment begins, how you'll feel while going through it, and what kind of help you will need. To learn more, see
The treatment of AML usually has two phases.
There are two treatment phases of AML:
Patients receive supportive care for side effects of treatment.
Patients must be closely monitored during treatment of AML. Myelosuppression, a condition which results in fewer red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets, is a side effect of both AML and treatment with chemotherapy. Supportive care during remission induction therapy may include:
The following types of treatment are used:
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy (also called chemo) uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. The way the chemotherapy is given depends on the subtype of AML being treated and whether the leukemia cells have spread to the central nervous system (CNS; brain and spinal cord).
Systemic chemotherapy is when chemotherapy drugs are taken by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle. When given this way, the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body.
Systemic chemotherapy drugs used to treat AML include:
Combinations of these drugs may be used. Other chemotherapy drugs not listed here may also be used.
Intrathecal chemotherapy may be used to treat AML that has spread to the CNS (brain and spinal cord). Intrathecal chemotherapy is a method of placing chemotherapy directly into the cerebrospinal fluid, which is the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. This approach is used because the blood-brain barrier, a protective layer around the brain, can prevent chemotherapy drugs given by mouth or into a vein from reaching the CNS.
Cytarabine and methotrexate are two chemotherapy drugs given as intrathecal chemotherapy to treat AML. These drugs can also be given systemically.
Intrathecal chemotherapy. Anticancer drugs are injected into the intrathecal space, which is the space that holds the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF, shown in blue). There are two different ways to do this. One way, shown in the top part of the figure, is to inject the drugs into an Ommaya reservoir (a dome-shaped container that is placed under the scalp during surgery; it holds the drugs as they flow through a small tube into the brain). The other way, shown in the bottom part of the figure, is to inject the drugs directly into the CSF in the lower part of the spinal column, after a small area on the lower back is numbed.
To learn more about how chemotherapy works, how it is given, common side effects, and more, see
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing. AML is sometimes treated with external radiation therapy. This type of radiation therapy uses a machine outside the body to send radiation toward the area of the body with cancer. Total-body irradiation sends radiation toward the whole body. It is a type of external radiation that may be used to prepare the body for a stem cell transplant when the leukemia has recurred.
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Chemotherapy with stem cell transplant
High doses of chemotherapy are given to kill cancer cells. Healthy cells, including blood-forming cells, are also destroyed by the cancer treatment. Stem cell transplant is a treatment to replace the blood-forming cells. Stem cells (immature blood cells) are removed from the blood or bone marrow of the patient or a donor and are frozen and stored. After the patient completes chemotherapy and/or total-body irradiation, the stored stem cells are thawed and given back to the patient through an infusion. These reinfused stem cells grow into (and restore) the body's blood cells.
Donor stem cell transplant. (Step 1): Four to five days before donor stem cell collection, the donor receives a medicine to increase the number of stem cells circulating through their bloodstream (not shown). The blood-forming stem cells are then collected from the donor through a large vein in their arm. The blood flows through an apheresis machine that removes the stem cells. The rest of the blood is returned to the donor through a vein in their other arm. (Step 2): The patient receives chemotherapy to kill cancer cells and prepare their body for the donor stem cells. The patient may also receive radiation therapy (not shown). (Step 3): The patient receives an infusion of the donor stem cells.
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Targeted therapy
Targeted therapy uses drugs or other substances to identify and attack specific cancer cells. Your doctor may suggest biomarker tests to help predict your response to certain targeted therapy drugs. Learn more about
Targeted therapies used to treat AML include:
Less-intensive targeted therapies in people who are unable or unwilling to receive other treatments include:
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Other drug therapy
Arsenic trioxide and all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) are anticancer drugs that kill leukemia cells, stop the leukemia cells from dividing, or help the leukemia cells mature into white blood cells. These drugs are used in the treatment of a subtype of AML called acute promyelocytic leukemia.
New types of treatment are being tested in clinical trials.
For some people, joining a clinical trial may be an option. There are different types of clinical trials for people with cancer. For example, a treatment trial tests new treatments or new ways of using current treatments. Supportive care and palliative care trials look at ways to improve quality of life, especially for those who have side effects from cancer and its treatment.
You can use the
Learn more about clinical trials, including how to find and join one, at
Treatment for acute myeloid leukemia may cause side effects.
For information about side effects caused by treatment for cancer, visit our
Follow-up care may be needed.
As you go through treatment, you will have follow-up tests or check-ups. Some tests that were done to diagnose or stage the cancer may be repeated to see how well the treatment is working. Decisions about whether to continue, change, or stop treatment may be based on the results of these tests.
Some of the tests will continue to be done from time to time after treatment has ended. The results of these tests can show if your condition has changed or if the cancer has recurred (come back).
Standard treatment of untreated acute myeloid leukemia (AML) during the remission induction phase depends on the subtype of AML and may include:
For older adults or people who are unable or unwilling to receive intensive chemotherapy, the following may be continued as long as the person benefits or until toxic effects occur:
To learn more about these treatments, see the
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Treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) during the remission phase depends on the subtype of AML and may include:
To learn more about these treatments, see the
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There is no standard treatment for refractory or recurrent acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Treatment depends on the subtype of AML and may include:
To learn more about these treatments, see the
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Treatment of newly diagnosed acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) may include:
To learn more about these treatments, see the
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Treatment of recurrent acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) may include:
To learn more about these treatments, see the
For more information from the National Cancer Institute about leukemia, see the
For general cancer information and other resources from the National Cancer Institute, visit:
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Last Revised: 2024-10-15
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