Definition

Noun: - A rapidly progressing cancer of the blood and bone marrow: Acute myelocytic leukemia (AML) is a type of cancer where the bone marrow produces a large number of abnormal, immature white blood cells called myeloblasts. These cells crowd out healthy blood cells, preventing them from functioning normally.

Usage

• Medical Diagnosis: The term is used in medical contexts to diagnose and classify a specific, aggressive form of leukemia.
  • The patient was diagnosed with acute myelocytic leukemia after a bone marrow biopsy.
  • Treatment for acute myelocytic leukemia often involves intensive chemotherapy.

Advanced Usage

• Clinical Context: Often discussed in terms of its cytogenetic and molecular subtypes, which influence prognosis and treatment choices.
  • The oncologist explained that the specific genetic mutation would determine the most effective therapy for her acute myelocytic leukemia.

Variants and Related Words

• Acute myeloid leukemia (AML): The more common full name and abbreviation for the same disease.
• Myeloblastic leukemia: A synonym emphasizing the proliferation of myeloblasts.
• Leukemia: The broader category of blood and bone marrow cancers.
• Myeloid: Relating to or resembling bone marrow, or referring to the non-lymphocytic lineages of blood cells.

Synonyms

• Acute myeloid leukemia (AML)
• Myeloblastic leukemia
• Acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (ANLL)

Noun

1. acute leukemia characterized by proliferation of granular leukocytes; most common in adolescents and young adults