Symptoms and Treatments for Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Ailments and ways to combat Acute Myeloid Leukemia

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2025 August 28 . 12:41 AM

1 min read

Symptoms and Treatments for Severe Blood Cancer Known as Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Symptoms and Treatments for Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), a type of cancer affecting the bone marrow, disrupts the production of healthy blood cells, leading to a range of symptoms and the need for aggressive medical intervention.

Common symptoms of AML include persistent fatigue and weakness, easy bruising or unusual bleeding (such as nosebleeds or heavy menstrual bleeding), frequent or unexplained infections, pale skin, fever and night sweats, bone or joint pain, swollen lymph nodes, loss of appetite and weight loss, and sometimes abdominal fullness caused by an enlarged spleen or liver.

Treatment for AML primarily involves chemotherapy, which is divided into two phases: induction chemotherapy to achieve remission by eliminating leukemia cells from the bone marrow, and post-remission therapy to prevent relapse. Common chemotherapy drugs include cytarabine (ara-C) and anthracycline drugs like daunorubicin. In some cases, targeted drugs such as gemtuzumab ozogamicin (Mylotarg) may be added to chemotherapy.

Because chemotherapy causes very low blood counts, patients often require hospitalization for supportive care including antibiotics, transfusions, and nutrition support.

The choice of treatment for AML depends on various factors such as AML subtype, history of chemotherapy use, presence of myelodysplastic syndrome or other blood cancer, presence of cancer cells in the central nervous system, how AML has responded to other treatments, presence of systemic infection at diagnosis, the person's age and general health, and other factors.

In summary, AML's impact on blood cells and the bone marrow's function necessitates a comprehensive approach to treatment, combining chemotherapy and supportive care to manage the disease effectively.