Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) NEW
Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is a type of blood cancer. It develops very quickly and often needs urgent treatment. About 3,100 people are diagnosed with AML each year in the UK. Three quarters of these (75%) are aged 60 or over, but AML can happen at any age.
This information is about AML in adults. AML is extremely rare in children and we have separate information about childhood AML.
What is AML?
Acute myeloid is a type of blood cancer which affects blood cells called myeloid cells, which are a type of white blood cell.
Diagnosed with AML
Being diagnosed with AML has probably come as a shock. We have a booklet that can help guide you through the diagnosis.
Prognosis for AML
Prognosis for AML varies depending on individual factors such as age, fitness, AML type, and genetic mutations.
Symptoms and tests
AML symptoms include tiredness, breathlessness, bruising, and fever. Tests are conducted by doctors to confirm diagnosis.
"It was like I was watching a movie and this was all happening to someone else."
Marie, diagnosed with AML in 2016.
Read Marie's story about coping with a sudden diagnosis of AML.
It was like I was watching a movie and this was all happening to someone else.
- Marie, diagnosed with AML in 2016
Thank you to the Advanced Nurse Practitioner Kirsty Crozier, Consultant Haematologists Richard Dillon and Professor Steve Knapper, and Clinical Fellows Francesca Hogan and Victoria Ware for checking the medical content of our AML information.
