Acute myeloid leukaemia: Difference between revisions
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===Risk Factors=== | ===Risk Factors=== | ||
10-20% are caused by previous chemotherapy. Men are slightly more likely to get it. Doesn't run in families apparently. | |||
===Clinical Features=== | ===Clinical Features=== | ||
===Investigations=== | ===Investigations=== | ||
===Management=== | ===Management=== | ||
===Prognosis=== | ===Prognosis=== | ||
Revision as of 17:12, 11 November 2009
Definition
This is a cancer of myeloblasts.
This is not the same as myeloma. Confusingly, that is a cancer of plasma cells which, even more confusingly, are part of lymphoid line of cells. It actually has little to do with all the myeloblastic cells. The picture hopefully explains it more fully.
Epidemiology
It's common amongst the haematological cancer and is really important to know about because it can kill you. About 90% of sufferers are adults and the incidence increases with age (63 being a rough median).
Pathophysiology
Like all cancer, AML is the result of myeloblast cancer. The myeloblast stops maturing and is released into the blood in a state of "arrested development". As such, in AML, people have high levels of blast cells in their blood. What makes life more complicated is that the arrest in development can occur at any point. As such, AML is classified M0-M7. It's probably not worth learning all those but if you really want to see it, go here (it's about halfway down the page).
Risk Factors
10-20% are caused by previous chemotherapy. Men are slightly more likely to get it. Doesn't run in families apparently.