What is Acute Myeloid Leukemia?
Symptoms
There are a number of symptoms of AML, which may include:
- Fever.
- Fatigue.
- Loss of weight.
- Night sweats.
- Dizziness.
- Headaches.
- Feeling cold all the time.
- Weakness.
- Shortness of breath.
- Joint pain.
- Painful bleeding gums.
- Vomiting.
Causes
AML is caused due to destruction of DNA inside the cells of the bones, which is called a bone marrow. Causes of this disease include:
- Imbalance in blood cells.
- Use of certain chemicals and chemotherapy drugs.
Risks
There are a few factors that cause the disease:
- Heavy consumption of tobacco and alcohol.
- High dose radiation.
- Blood disorder.
Prevention
AML is not preventable, but precautions can be taken to reduce the chances of getting the disease. The measures of prevention include:
- Quitting smoke.
- Avoiding the use of certain drugs and chemicals (especially cancer-related chemicals and chemotherapy).
How is it diagnosed?
The disease needs to be diagnosed at the earliest to ensure quick treatment. At Medanta, the doctor will begin by examining patient history, and conduct a physical test. The tests for the diagnosis include:
- Taking a blood test
- Peripheral blood smear
- Biopsy
- Cytogenetic analysis
