Classification and Recognition of Anti-Money Laundering Categories
Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), a type of cancer that originates in the blood-forming cells of the bone marrow, is a complex and challenging disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies AML into several general groups, each with distinct genetic abnormalities and clinical characteristics.
AML can be referred to by various names, such as acute myelogenous leukemia, acute myeloblastic leukemia, acute granulocytic leukemia, or acute nonlymphocytic leukemia. Among adults, AML is the most common type of acute leukemia.
The WHO classification divides AML into several categories, including AML with recurrent genetic abnormalities, AML with myelodysplasia-related changes, therapy-related myeloid neoplasms, and AML not otherwise specified.
Doctors identify the specific AML type by analyzing leukemic cells from a person's bone marrow and blood samples using tests such as cytogenetics, fluorescent in situ hybridization, and polymerase chain reaction.
The French-American-British (FAB) classification, an older system, categorizes AML into eight morphologically defined subtypes (M0-M7). However, the WHO classification, which is more current, uses genetic and clinical features to define AML subtypes, providing a more detailed and clinically relevant categorization.
People with AML respond variably to treatment due to diverse genetic and clinical presentations. Factors such as age, AML subtype, and treatment response significantly impact the outlook. For instance, older adults (over 60 years of age) typically have a worse prognosis due to more chromosomal irregularities and other medical conditions.
Some specific AML subtypes have better outcomes than others. Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL), a subtype of AML, has complete remission and cure rates of roughly 90% and 80%, respectively. On the other hand, people who highly express CD56, CD87, or have a history of myelodysplastic syndrome or another blood disorder, or who develop AML from treatments for other cancer types (therapy-related AML), typically have poorer outcomes.
Despite advances in treatment, people with AML, including those who have achieved complete remission after their initial treatment, may still be at risk of relapse. Around 50% of people with AML will relapse months to years after treatment, with most relapses happening 2-3 years later. The burden of relapse is particularly high in people who have received allogeneic stem cell transplants and induction chemotherapy.
Mutations in the TP53 gene are associated with particularly poor survival rates. Therefore, understanding the genetic and clinical characteristics of AML is crucial for effective treatment and improved outcomes.
[1] World Health Organization. Classification of myeloid neoplasms and acute leukemias. 2022. [2] National Cancer Institute. Acute Myeloid Leukemia Treatment (PDQ®)–Patient Version. 2021.
- Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), a type of cancer that develops in the blood-forming cells of the bone marrow, is a complex and challenging disease, where its various names include acute myelogenous leukemia, acute myeloblastic leukemia, acute granulocytic leukemia, or acute nonlymphocytic leukemia, and it is the most common type of acute leukemia among adults.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies AML into several general groups, each with distinct genetic abnormalities and clinical characteristics, such as AML with recurrent genetic abnormalities, AML with myelodysplasia-related changes, therapy-related myeloid neoplasms, and AML not otherwise specified.
- Doctors identify the specific AML type by analyzing leukemic cells from a person's bone marrow and blood samples using tests like cytogenetics, fluorescent in situ hybridization, and polymerase chain reaction, which are essential processes in medical-conditions and health-and-wellness, specifically in the field of oncology.
- People with AML respond variably to treatment due to diverse genetic and clinical presentations, with older adults typically having a worse prognosis due to more chromosomal irregularities and other medical-conditions like myelodysplastic syndrome or other blood disorders.
- Despite advances in treatment, people with AML, including those who have achieved complete remission after their initial treatment, may still be at risk of relapse, and mutations in the TP53 gene are associated with particularly poor survival rates, emphasizing the importance of understanding the genetic and clinical characteristics of AML for effective treatment and improved outcomes.
