Acute leukemia is defined by the rapid creation and spread of malignant immature blood cells that crowd bone marrow, making it difficult for the marrow to produce healthy cells.
Acute leukemia is further diagnosed by which blood cells are affected.
This term is applied to:
- Acute myelogenous leukemia
- Acute lymphoblastomic leukemia Acute erythroid leukemia
- T-cell acute lymphoblastomic leukemia
- Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma
- Precursor T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma
Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML)
AML is the most common form of leukemia found in adults. This condition is identified by the rapid growth of abnormal white blood cells in bone marrow, which interrupts the production of healthy blood cells.
Symptoms include:
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Easy bruising or bleeding
- Increased risk of infection
Learn More
For more information on the symptoms, risk factors, and treatment options for AML, visit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society website or the Know Cancer Community and Education pages.
Acute lymphoblastomic leukemia (ALL)
In this strain, the body’s white blood cells produce a large number of lymphoblasts, or immature cells, in the bone marrow, pushing out the healthy blood cells. ALL is common in young children (ages 2-5) and older adults.
Some of the symptoms include:
- Overall weakness or fatigue
- Anemia
- Enlarged lymph nodes, liver, and/or spleen
- Bone or joint pain (as a result of “blast” cells moving to the surface of the bone or into the joint)
- Pitting edema, or swelling in the lower extremities
Acute erythroid leukemia
This is a strain of Acute myelogenous leukemia, classified on an “M6” scale. Patients diagnosed with this type of leukemia typically receive a poor prognosis.
- T-cell acute lymphoblastomic leukemia
- Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL)
- ATL is a highly aggressive form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Symptoms:
- Lytic bone lesions
- Skin lesions
Due to the rapid progression of the disease, prognosis is poor—most patients die within a year of diagnosis.
Precursor T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma. This is a form of lymphoid leukemia and makes up 85-90% of lymphoblastic lymphoma cases.
Learn More
For more information on the symptoms, risk factors, and treatment options for the various types of leukemia, visit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society website or the Know Cancer Community and Education pages.
