Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a type of cancer in which the white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets are attacked by bone marrow, which is a soft inner part of the bones. Without proper treatment, acute myeloid leukemia can be fatal, as it can spread very quickly to the blood and other parts of the body. Fever, fatigue, and bleeding are symptoms of the disease. Leukemia mainly targets the red and white blood cells and platelets. Acute myeloid leukemia is also known as acute myelocytic leukemia, acute myelogenous leukemia, acute granulocytic leukemia, and acute non-lymphocytic leukemia. The disease can affect liver, brain, spinal cord, lymph nodes, and testicles.

The doses of chemotherapy drugs that doctors can give to treat acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are limited by the serious side effects they can cause. Even though higher doses of these drugs might kill more cancer cells, they can’t be given because they could severely damage the bone marrow, which is where new blood cells are formed. This could lead to life-threatening infections, bleeding, and other problems caused by low blood cell counts. Doctors use a stem cell transplant (SCT), also called a bone marrow transplant, to give higher doses of chemotherapy than could normally be given. (Sometimes radiation therapy is given as well.) After the treatment is finished, the patient gets an infusion of blood-forming stem cells to restore their bone marrow.