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Acute myeloid leukemia is a fast-growing cancer of the blood and bone marrow. It is characterized by the overproduction of abnormal, immature white blood cells called myeloblasts, which rapidly interfere with the production of healthy red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
read more about acute myeloid leukemia ...The precise cause of acute myeloid leukemia is unknown, but it involves damage to the DNA of bone marrow stem cells. Risk factors include advanced age, smoking, prior chemotherapy or radiation treatment, and exposure to certain industrial chemicals like benzene.
Symptoms develop quickly and include fatigue, shortness of breath, and frequent infections. Many people experience bruising, bleeding gums, or small red spots on the skin called petechiae. Fever, pale skin, and unintentional weight loss can also occur. In more advanced cases, bone pain or fullness under the ribs may appear due to an enlarged spleen or liver. The rapid onset of these symptoms usually leads to prompt medical testing.
AML can directly impact eye health through bleeding and cell infiltration. Patients may experience retinal hemorrhages (bleeding at the back of the eye) due to severely low platelet counts, blurred vision, or, in rare cases, chloromas (tumors of leukemia cells) in the orbital tissues.
Treatment is intensive and typically involves two main phases of chemotherapy: induction (to achieve remission) and consolidation (to prevent relapse). Many patients also require a stem cell transplant (bone marrow transplant).
Acute myeloid leukemia affects myeloid cells (cells that typically become red cells, platelets, or certain white cells), while acute lymphoblastic leukemia affects lymphoid cells (lymphocytes). Both are acute, but AML is more common in adults, whereas ALL is more common in children.
Yes, acute myeloid leukemia is considered acute, meaning it progresses very rapidly and requires immediate treatment.
Yes, the chemotherapy used to treat acute myeloid leukemia is highly aggressive and causes temporary, widespread hair loss.
Most cases are sporadic and not hereditary, but having certain genetic disorders can increase the risk.
In AML, the high white blood cell count can cause "leukostasis," which may manifest as sudden blurred vision or "spots." This is a medical emergency. Immediate treatment is needed to prevent permanent retinal damage or stroke.
National Cancer Institute. AML Treatment (cancer.gov). 2025.
American Cancer Society. What is AML? (cancer.org). 2025.
Mayo Clinic. Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (mayoclinic.org). 2024.
StatPearls. AML Pathology (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). 2024.