1. Fast and Fatal
Leukemia is cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow. Acute leukemia is fast-acting and when left untreated, fatal. Adult acute myeloid leukemia is the most common form of fast-acting cancer in adults. AML is a group of cancerous conditions. Each condition results from a build up of immature white blood cells in bone marrow and blood. The diseases differ based on the degree of abnormality and the development of cancer cells upon diagnosis. Treatment and prognosis depends on the type of AML diagnoses.
2. Risky Business
AML is rare in individuals under 40 years old. Most patients are in their mid-60 and the disease affects more men than women. Smoking, exposure to certain chemicals, and radiation increase your risk of AML leukemia. Individuals with certain blood disorders, Down Syndrome, Fanconi anemia and other inherited disorders are at an increased risk of AML. Certain cancer drugs increase the likelihood you will develop AML. The risk also increases if your treatment combines these drugs with radiation. Consult with your oncologist about the risks of AML and cancer treatments.
3. Know the Signs
Stay alert for signs of AML, especially if you had cancer treatments or have an inherited condition that raises your risk level. Watch for frequent infections, anemia, and frequent bruising or bleeding especially from the nose or gums. Abdominal swelling, joint pain, bone pain and many general physical complaints may be symptoms of leukemia. Order a blood test to screen for anemia or other blood cell abnormalities if your doctor suspects symptoms are not simply a common illness. A bone marrow sample and biopsy is performed for testing as is a spinal tap. MRIs, CT scans, x-rays and bone scans may be ordered to diagnose if the cancer has spread to other body organs.
4. Fight Cancer
Chemotherapy, or doses of cancer fighting drugs, is the treatment choice for AML. Surgery is of limited value due to the system-wide invasion of leukemia, except for specific tumor removal. Doctors use radiation in the treatment of AML for cancers of the brain, spinal fluid and certain other specific body areas, to shrink tumors and reduce the pain of bone cancer. Its main use is to prepare the body for bone marrow and stem cell transplants. Stem cell and bone marrow transplants replace abnormal bone marrow cells with healthy cells or add healthy stem cells into the body to assist in the fight against cancer. Talk to your oncologist about your treatment options once you have been diagnosed with AML.
5. Living With the Disease
The prognosis for an individual with AML varies with each patient. Good nutrition, an active lifestyle and a positive frame of mind is necessary during treatment for AML. Proper support and treatment also help a patient fight AML.
