Which body tissues or cells are affected by Leukemia disease?

Leukemia is a cancer of blood-forming tissues, including bone marrow, hindering the body's ability to fight infection. 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. Symptoms may include feeling tired, shortness of breath, easy bruising and bleeding, and an increased risk of infection. Occasionally, spread may occur to the brain, skin, or gums. As in acute leukemia, AML progresses rapidly, and is typically fatal within weeks or months if left untreated.

Unlike other cancers, leukemia generally does not form a mass (tumor) that can be seen in imaging tests, such as X-rays. A doctor may conduct a physical test, order blood tests and, if results are suspicious, order imaging tests and a bone marrow biopsy. The first line treatment of AML is usually chemotherapy (using anti-cancer drugs), with the aim of inducing remission (reduction of signs of a disease). People may then go on to receive additional chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or a stem cell transplant (transplant of cells derived from bone marrow, deoxygenated blood) in order to replicate inside of a patient and to produce additional blood cells.

In 2015, AML affected about one million people, and resulted in 147,000 deaths globally. It mostly occurs in older adults. Males are affected more than females.