ACUTE MYELOID LEUKEMIA

Course overview

ACUTE MYELOID LEUKEMIA (AML) IS THE MOST COMMON LEUKEMIA AMONG THE ADULT POPULATION AND ACCOUNTS FOR ABOUT 80% OF ALL CASES. IT IS CHARACTERIZED BY CLONAL EXPANSION OF IMMATURE "BLAST CELLS" IN THE PERIPHERAL BLOOD AND BONE MARROW RESULTING IN INEFFECTIVE ERYTHROPOIESIS AND BONE MARROW FAILURE. WITH RECENT ADVANCEMENTS IN THE MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES, THE CURE RATES HAVE INCREASED UP TO 15% IN PATIENTS OLDER THAN 60 YEARS AND ABOUT 40% IN PATIENTS BELOW 60 YEARS OF AGE. DESPITE ADVANCEMENTS IN THERAPEUTIC REGIMENS, THE PROGNOSIS REMAINS VERY POOR IN THE ELDERLY POPULATION. THIS ACTIVITY EXAMINES WHEN THIS CONDITION SHOULD BE CONSIDERED IN THE DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS AND HOW TO PROPERLY EVALUATE IT. THIS ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN CARING FOR PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.