Acute Myeloid Leukemia - Causes, Types, Symptoms & Treatment in India

Acute myeloid leukemia is a lethal variety of cancer originating in the bone marrow and in the blood. This type of cancer affects the white blood cells in your body, causing them to multiply out of control. The rapid abnormal growth of the cells can be fatal for the body. This type of leukemia spreads rapidly across the patient’s body, affecting other organs, eventually leading to organ failure and death. This type of disease is commonly found in men above 50 years of age.

There is no definite cure for this disease, however, some treatment options are available, which can make a difference by extending the lifespan of the individuals and providing them with relief. This disease is characterized by a rapidly growing tumor that affects immature white blood cells in the bone marrow and in the blood. The progress of this disease is more rapid than chronic myeloid leukemia, and the cancerous cells quickly outnumber the healthy cells. 

Acute Myeloid Leukemia causes and risk factors

Acute myeloid leukemia occurs due to DNA mutation of the stem cells in the bone marrow that are responsible for producing platelets that help reduce bleeding, white blood cells that fight infection, and red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout the body. This infection causes white blood cells to multiply in an uncontrollable manner. These white blood cells are underdeveloped and they do not have the capability to fight infections.

The immature cells quickly overpower the healthy red blood cells and the platelets, which may lead to symptoms. Exactly how the genetic mutation is triggered is not known, but there are some factors which make it more likely for you to develop these disease. Being exposed to high levels of radiation can put you in a high-risk group, and this can happen through medical treatment procedures such as radiation therapy.
Exposure to toxic substances can also increase the chances of you developing acute myeloid leukemia. Benzene is one such toxic substance that is found in petrol and is also used in the rubber industry. Benzene is also found in cigarette smoke, so smokers have a higher chance of getting this disease.

This form of cancer is more common in people above the age of fifty, and it mostly affects males. Undergoing chemotherapy treatment also places individuals in the high-risk group as certain alkylating agents used in chemotherapy may increase the chances of the disease occurring.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia Symptoms

Acute myeloid leukemia causes the normal generation of blood cells to be disrupted and this causes some of the symptoms of the disease. The immature cells outnumber the healthy blood cells and the patient may suffer from shortness of breath, fatigue, excessive bleeding, body aches, fever, sweating, and other symptoms caused by the lack of normal, functioning blood cells.

Some individuals may notice tiny red spots under the skin known as petechiae, which are caused when the blood vessels under the skin get ruptured. Some people suffer from nosebleeds, and women might experience more bleeding during menstruation. Some patients might feel tenderness and pain in the sternum and develop enlarged lymph nodes. A slightly enlarged spleen and liver might also be noticed.
If the diagnosis is done at one of the later acute myeloid leukemia stages, and treatment is delayed, it might lead to complications such as leukostasis and hyperleukocytosis. Hyperleukocytosis is said to have occurred when a person has an abnormal amount of white blood cells in their body. 

Hyperleukocytosis can affect the central nervous system and the lungs of the patient which causes symptoms such as headaches, seizures, confusion, breathing difficulties, and disturbance in vision. Upon the surfacing of these symptoms, the condition is known as leukostasis. These are serious conditions that might lead to respiratory failure and coma.

One of the rare complications arising from Acute myeloid leukemiais myeloid sarcoma, where the malignant cells accumulate to create a mass outside the bone marrow. Myeloid sarcoma may occur is soft tissues, bones, and lymph nodes. Leukemia cutis may develop is some people, where the cancer cells travel to the skin and cause a number of skin diseases such as spots, bumps, and rashes. In extremely rare cases, the cancer cells might affect the central nervous system and the brain.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia treatment available in India

If you notice signs and symptoms of this disease, you should consult a general physician who will perform a basic health checkup on you. If he suspects that you might be suffering from cancer, he can refer you to an oncologist, who can then provide you with acute myeloid leukemia prognosis. The type of treatment administered depends on the stage at which the cancer is in. Late-stage cancer requires more intensive treatment procedures and have lower chances of success.

Chemotherapy is usually considered as the first line of treatment. Various powerful drugs are introduced into the body to kill the cancer cells. These drugs can be taken orally, or intravenously. Drugs such as anthracycline and cytarabine are some of the commonly used drugs in chemotherapy. After chemotherapy, some patients may have to undergo stem cell transplantation procedures, where the affected stem cells will be destroyed and replaced by healthy stem cells procured from a donor.

India has some of the best treatment programs for people suffering from acute myeloid leukemia. Indian doctors are highly professional and have years of experience treating cancer patients, providing them with affordable care. India's healthcare system is affordable and the cost of treatment is much less than that in Western countries. For this reason, many foreign nationals visit India to undergo treatment procedures.

Success Rate of Acute Myeloid Leukemia

People suffering from acute myeloid leukemia are mostly treated with chemotherapy. After completing the first round of treatment, 90% of patients with promyelocytic leukemia will go into remission. For individuals with other types of the disease, the figure stands at 67%. Success rates are lower for older people, and half of those above the age of 60 go into remission after the first round. It is estimated that 27.4% of people survive five years after being diagnosed with this disease.

This is a serious form of cancer that claims the lives of many people each year. If you belong to one of the high-risk groups, you should undergo routine health checkups.