Adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is one of the most common types of leukemia. Acute myeloid leukemia affects the bone marrow before gradually spreading into the blood. Bone marrow, the soft inner part of bone, consists of supporting tissues, fat cells, and blood-forming cells. A portion of the blood-forming cells includes myeloid, or blood stem cells. AML causes the abnormality of these myeloid cells. It affects the liver, spleen, lymph nodes, and central nervous system.

To understand the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia, it is first important to understand its causes and symptoms.

1. Understanding leukemia
Leukemia is the exponential growth of white blood cells (WBCs) in different parts of the body. Leukemia is commonly known as blood cancer, affecting people between 15 to 55 years old. It occurs due to various health/lifestyle disorders, resulting in distorted blood cell growth and the destruction of healthy cells. With a disturbance of the cell growth in the body, the affected person is vulnerable to other infections.

2. Types of leukemia
According to research, there are four common types of leukemia

• Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
• Chronic myeloid leukemia
• Acute lymphocytic leukemia
• Acute myeloid leukemia

3. Acute myeloid leukemia
The treatment of myeloid leukemia depends on the severity of the disease (whether it is chronic or acute). Acute myeloid leukemia is one of the more dangerous types of leukemia, as the white blood cells proliferate more than it does in chronic leukemia. AML is also known as acute myelogenous leukemia, myelocytic leukemia, and acute granulocytic leukemia. There are instances where acute myeloid leukemia initiates from cells, turning them into white blood cells.

4. Treatment methods for acute myeloid leukemia (AML)

• Chemotherapy
  Chemo (chemotherapy) is a standard treatment for all types of leukemia. The process involves injecting anti-cancer medication into the vein, skin, or cerebrospinal fluid besides oral drugs. Chemotherapy is the chief treatment in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, this treatment option is not suitable for people who are elderly or in poor health. This treatment includes two phases which are remission induction chemo which is a short intensive weekly chemotherapy to clear the leukemia cells. Consolidation chemotherapy is a periodic and post-recovery treatment to kill the remaining cancer cells
• Radiation therapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML)
  Radiation therapy involves high-energy frequency (radiation) to destroy cancer cells. Radiation treats the cells in the bone marrow and blood, preventing it from spreading the disease. Radiation often reduces the pain around the affected area
• Stem cell transplant for acute myeloid leukemia (AML)
  High doses of oral chemo or injected chemo medications lead to specific side effects, such as bleeding, infection, and the destruction of the bone marrow. Therefore, oncologists recommend a procedure called stem cell transplant (SCT). This procedure involves transplanting the bone marrow before introducing higher doses of chemo. Blood-forming stem cells are transplanted to the affected person to generate the count of red blood cells. After transplantation, the affected person goes through radiation therapy and blood transfusion to restore the bone marrow.

5. Medications
Common drugs used to treat AML include

• FLT3 inhibitors (Rydapt)
• IDH inhibitors (Tibsovo, Idhifa)
• BCL-2 inhibitor
• Hedgehog pathway inhibitor
• Gemtuzumab ozogamicin (Mylotarg).