Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a type of cancer that affects the blood and the bone marrow. If not treated promptly, this kind of cancer can worsen quickly.
In a healthy person, bone marrow creates blood stem cells that become mature blood cells overtime. Below is a helpful chart that shows the development of stem cells into mature blood cells.
In individuals with AML, their myeloid cells (or myeloblasts above) become abnormal, and do not mature into healthy white blood cells. AML is characterized specifically by the rapid growth of these abnormal white blood cells. These cancer cells crowd in the bone marrow, which interfere with the production of normal red blood cells, as there is less room for healthy white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets (as you can see in the image below).
Because of this abnormalities in the blood cells, consequences arise in patients with AML that make them susceptible to infection, anemia, or easy bleeding occurrences. The leukemia cells can also spread outside the blood to other parts of the body, including the central nervous system, skin, and gums, causing even more complications that may be discussed in further posts.
