What is it?
Leukaemia is a cancer of the white blood cells. These cells are made in the bone marrow and help to fight infection. There are two types of white blood cells which can both be affected by leukaemia: lymphoid cells and myeloid cells.
In Acute Myeloid Leukaemia the bone marrow produces too many immature myeloid cells (called myeloblasts or blast cells).
These blasts circulate throughout the blood stream and lymphatic system where they disrupt the normal function of organs.
There are different types of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia according to the cell affected as well as the stage of development.
Who does it affect?
In the UK, leukaemia makes up one-third of all childhood cancers and more than half affect children under the age of 5.
The second-most common form of leukaemia in children, after Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia with roughly 70-80 new cases diagnosed in children each year.
Find out more
You can read more about the types of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia and it’s treatment.