Newly diagnosed Therapy-Related Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Newly Diagnosed Therapy-Related Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia (t-AML) is a rare type of cancer affect that occurs in people who’ve already received treatment for another type of cancer. It's myeloid leukemia, which means it originates in the myeloid line of the bone marrow. This cancer is considered "therapy related" because it often occurs after one has received treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation.

Causes of Therapy-Related Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Studies have shown that radiation and chemotherapy are considered to be the primary causes of therapy-related myeloid leukemia (t-AML). Radiation can damage cells in the bone marrow, which helps the transformation of normal cells into leukemia cells. When chemotherapy drugs are taken, some of the healthy cells in the bone marrow are damaged, allowing them to then become leukemic cells. These processes result in leukemia genes being transferred to the mutated cells, forming therapy-related myeloid leukemia.

Symptoms of Therapy-Related Acute Myeloid Leukemia

The most common symptom of t-AML is anemia, which is a decrease in red blood cells. This causes general fatigue, weakness, and shortness of breath. Additional symptoms can include frequent infections, severe bleeding, swollen lymph nodes, easy bruising, and joint and bone pain. It’s important to be aware of these symptoms so that an early diagnosis can be made.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Therapy-Related Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Since anemia is the most common symptom of t-AML, a doctor will likely order a complete blood count to determine if this is indeed the case. From there, a bone marrow biopsy or aspirations can be done for further examination. t-AML is treated similarly to other acute myeloid leukemias. Treatment typically includes chemotherapy and stem cell transplants. For elderly patients, treatment may involve only supportive therapy such as blood transfusions and antibiotics.

Risk Factors of Therapy-Related Acute Myeloid Leukemia

• Advanced age
• History of cancer
• Heavy radiation therapy
• History of exposure to certain chemicals

It's important to be aware of the risk factors for t-AML if you've recently been treated for cancer. If you experience any of the symptoms mentioned above, it's important to contact your doctor right away for further evaluation. Without prompt diagnosis and treatment, t-AML can become difficult to treat.