Leukemia researchers led by Dr. John Dick have traced the origins of relapse in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) to rare therapy-resistant leukemia stem cells that are already present at diagnosis and before chemotherapy begins.

This is a recording of a webinar aired on Monday, October 17, 2022

Speaker: Dr. Fred Appelbaum, Executive Vice President of Fred Hutch Cancer Center and Associate Director for Clinical Research at the Fred Hutch/University of Washington/Seattle Children’s Cancer Consortium.

Experts discuss the prognostic implications of genetic alterations in acute myeloid leukemia.

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Chapters

0:00 Introduction
0:49 Symptoms of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia
1:18 Causes of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia
2:15 Diagnosis of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia
2:34 Treatment for Acute Myeloid Leukaemia


Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a cancer of the myeloid line of blood cells, characterized by the rapid growth of abnormal cells that build up in the bone marrow and blood and interfere with normal blood cell production.[1] Symptoms may include feeling tired, shortness of breath, easy bruising and bleeding, and increased risk of infection.[1] Occasionally, spread may occur to the brain, skin, or gums.[1] As an acute leukemia, AML progresses rapidly, and is typically fatal within weeks or months if left untreated.[1]

Risk factors include smoking, previous chemotherapy or radiation therapy, myelodysplastic syndrome, and exposure to the chemical benzene.[1] The underlying mechanism involves replacement of normal bone marrow with leukemia cells, which results in a drop in red blood cells, platelets, and normal white blood cells.[1] Diagnosis is generally based on bone marrow aspiration and specific blood tests.[3] AML has several subtypes for which treatments and outcomes may vary.[1]

The first-line treatment of AML is usually chemotherapy, with the aim of inducing remission.[1] People may then go on to receive additional chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or a stem cell transplant.[1][3] The specific genetic mutations present within the cancer cells may guide therapy, as well as determine how long that person is likely to survive.[3]

In 2015, AML affected about one million people, and resulted in 147,000 deaths globally.[4][5] It most commonly occurs in older adults.[2] Males are affected more often than females.[2] The five-year survival rate is about 35% in people under 60 years old and 10% in people over 60 years old.[3] Older people whose health is too poor for intensive chemotherapy have a typical survival of five to ten months.[3] It accounts for roughly 1.1% of all cancer cases, and 1.9% of cancer deaths in the United States.[2]