Acute Myelogenous Leukemia

Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is a type of cancer that affects the blood cells of the myeloid tissue (bone marrow). As such, AML is also referred to as acute myeloid leukemia. AML is the most commonly diagnosed form of leukemia in adults, typically affecting those over the age of 70.

There are two forms of myeloid leukemia; acute and chronic. While the onset of acute myeloid leukemia can be sudden, the onset of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) can take many years.

AML - Blood Cells and Bone Marrow

The bone marrow is responsible for producing immature cells that mature into one of three types of blood cells:

People suffering from AML produce abnormal white blood cells that never fully develop into mature white blood cells. These immature white blood cells are labeled myeloid blasts, or myeloblasts. The overproduction of myeloid blasts in conjunction with additional production of abnormal red blood cells and platelets leaves little room for the production of normal cells. These abnormal blood cells are often referred to as leukemia cells.

Causes of Acute Myelogenous Leukemia

The causes of acute myelogenous leukemia are not entirely known; however, AML has been definitively linked with exposure to an organic chemical compound called benzene. Benzene is commonly used for a variety of commercial and industrial purposes. As such, people are routinely faced with varying levels of exposure to the volatile solvent; most often in an occupational setting.

It is the responsibility of employers operating facilities that deal with benzene or benzene-laden materials to ensure the safety of their employees by taking measures to minimize exposure. Failure to take such measures is deemed negligent and grounds for legal action. Benzene lawsuits are designed to provide compensation for pain, suffering and legal expenses incurred as a result of an employer's negligence. Contact a benzene personal injury lawyer to get additional information about your rights as a benzene disease victim.

Symptoms of Acute Myelogenous Leukemia

The acute nature of AML means that the disease develops suddenly and rapidly, often reaching a serious stage shortly after a sufferer begins to display symptoms. There are a number of symptoms of acute myelogenous leukemia, most of which can be attributed to the disease's production of increased malignant white blood cells.

Some of the more common presenting symptoms of AML can include:

Many of the aforementioned AML symptoms can be mistakenly attributed to a lesser condition such as the common cold or flu. As such, cases of AML may not be diagnosed early, eliciting potentially fatal results.

Diagnosis of Acute Myelogenous Leukemia

A patient's development of symptoms most often results in a preliminary diagnosis of acute myelogenous leukemia. Most AML sufferers visit their doctor complaining of chronic bleeding, infections and fatigue. Many will have developed an infection that they have been unable to recover from. Some patients suffer from extreme fatigue that renders them unable to perform basic everyday functions, such as driving. In fact, many patients are prompted to seek medical help after being involved in car accidents caused by their chronic fatigue.

A blood test will alert a doctor to the potential presence of myelogenous leukemia. AML sufferers have a high count of malignant white blood cells coupled with an extremely low count of red blood cells. Following analysis of blood work, a bone marrow aspiration or myeloid tissue biopsy can be conducted to identify AML as the underlying cause of the blood cell deficiency and to stage the cancer; at which point attention can be focused towards prognosis and treatment.

Prognosis and Treatment for Acute Myelogenous Leukemia

Although AML is a fatal disease, it can be treatable if it is diagnosed at an early stage. Acute myelogenous leukemia sufferers are most often treated via chemotherapeutic means in the form of induction chemotherapy and post-remission chemotherapy.

Induction chemotherapy refers to the initial drug treatment for acute myelogenous leukemia. An antimetabolite chemotherapy drug called cytarabine (ara-C) is often used in conjunction with an anthracycline like daunorubicin. Following induction chemotherapy, approximately 50 to 75% of adult AML sufferers will experience complete remission of the disease. Such a determination is made based on examination of bone marrow.

Post-remission chemotherapy is administered as the second phase of AML treatment in order to eliminate any lingering or undetectable cancer cells that were unaffected by the induction chemotherapy regimen. A bone marrow transplant may be used as an aggressive form of post-remission chemotherapy if an AML relapse is feared; approximately 70 to 80% of all AML patients relapse.

Additional treatment modalities are continuously being researched with the hope that they may someday provide for an increased AML survival rate. Both traditional and experimental AML therapies can be very costly and require patients to take days off work. In cases whereby AML was caused by benzene exposure, patients are often able to force those responsible for their health tragedies to provide just compensation through personal injury litigation. If you suspect that your AML symptoms were caused by benzene exposure, contact an experienced personal injury lawyer to discuss your options. Some benzene lawyers work in large firms where their colleagues specialize in other areas of law. For example, their colleagues might specialize in family law to help resolve issues arising from cases whereby deceased benzene exposure victims are survived by young children.

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