Molecular Mechanisms and Therapies of Myeloid Leukaemia

Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is defined as a malignant disorder of the bone marrow (BM) that is characterised by the clonal expansion and differentiation arrest of myeloid progenitor cells. It accounts for around 15–20% of leukaemias in the paediatric population and 5-year survival for paediatric and young adults is approximately 70%. AML rates have been increasing over the last 40 years and this may reflect an aging population and exposure to more environmental factors, such as greater levels of pollution. Population effects such as the post-war ‘baby boom’ provided a large increase in the population reaching the age that is most associated with AML. In the last decade, this could account for some of the dramatic increase in AML diagnoses that was seen during the same period. In the UK, AML is most often diagnosed between the ages of 75–84 (Figure 1) with only 1% of those affected being under 19 years of age.

Author(s): Elliott Brown

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