Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML)

Leukaemia is a cancer of the white blood cells. In leukaemia, the process for making new white blood cells gets out of control and immature white blood cells (called blasts) keep being made.

They build up in the bone marrow until there isn’t enough room for the bone marrow to make healthy white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. The body needs these cells to help us fight infection, carry oxygen from the lungs around our body and to stop us bleeding when we cut ourselves by clotting our blood.

This information is about a type of leukaemia called acute myeloid leukaemia. If you have a different type of leukaemia and want to know more, please contact us. 

Symptoms

Many of the symptoms of AML are caused by having fewer than normal healthy blood cells in the body. Symptoms can include:

• looking paler than usual and feeling tired - because of too few red blood cells (anaemia).
• bruises - you may bruise more easily and it could take longer for bleeding to stop, if you have less blood clotting cells (platelets) than normal.
• infections - because there are too few mature white blood cells to fight infection.
• aches and pains in your bones.
• swollen glands (lymph nodes) in your neck, under your arm or in your groin.
• feeling unwell and run down.
• fever and sweats - you may have a high temperature without any obvious cause, such as an infection.

If you have any of these symptoms, or are worried that you may have AML, the first thing to do is see your family doctor (GP). They will examine you and refer you onto a hospital if they think you need to see a specialist doctor.

Causes

We don't know exactly what causes AML, but research is going on to try to find out.

• Young people with some genetic conditions, like Down's Syndrome or Li-Fraumeni syndrome, are at an increased risk of getting AML. A genetic condition is something you are born with.
• There are some non-cancerous conditions of the bone marrow, such as aplastic anaemia or myelodysplastic syndromes, that increase the risk of developing AML.

If you're worried about AML

If you think you might have any of the symptoms of AML, you should go straight to your GP. They'll talk to you about your symptoms, examine you and can arrange tests| or refer you to see a specialist.