Acute myeloid leukemia white blood cell count

• People may be tired or pale, may be easily susceptible to infection and fever, and may bruise or bleed easily.

  Table of Contents Show

  • What is the WBC count in AML?
  • Are WBC high or low in AML?
  • What happens to WBC in acute myeloid leukemia?
  • Which white blood cells are high in leukemia?

• Blood tests and bone marrow examination are needed for diagnosis.

• Treatment includes chemotherapy to achieve remission plus additional chemotherapy to avoid relapse and sometimes stem cell transplantation.

In AML, immature leukemia cells rapidly accumulate in the bone marrow, destroying and replacing cells that produce normal blood cells including one or more of the following:

Cancerous white blood cells do not function like normal white blood cells. So even though the person seems to have more white blood cells, they have fewer normal white blood cells and thus have trouble fighting off infections.

The leukemia cells also are released into the bloodstream and are transported to other organs, where they continue to grow and divide.

There are several subtypes of AML, which are identified based on characteristics of the leukemia cells.

Acute promyelocytic leukemia is an important subtype of AML. In this subtype, chromosomal changes in promyelocytes—cells that are at an early stage in the development into mature neutrophils—allow accumulation of these immature cells.

• Fever and excessive sweating may indicate infection, which may result from too few normal white blood cells.

Leukemia cells can invade other organs. Leukemia cells in the bone marrow may cause bone and joint pain. A sense of fullness in the abdomen and sometimes pain can result when leukemia cells cause enlargement of the liver and spleen. Leukemia cells can form small masses throughout the body, including in or just under the skin (called leukemia cutis) or gums, or in the eyes.

AML cells can spread to the layers of tissue covering the brain and spinal cord (meninges), leading to leukemic meningitis, which may cause

• Headaches

• Vomiting

• Stroke

• Disturbances of vision, hearing, and facial muscles (leukemic meningitis)

In the subtype of AML called acute promyelocytic leukemia, bleeding or blood clotting problems often occur.

• Blood tests

• Bone marrow examination

Imaging tests may also be needed. Computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is done if the person has symptoms that suggest leukemia cells in the brain. CT of the chest may be done to check for leukemia cells in the area around the lungs. CT, MRI, or ultrasonography of the abdomen may be done to determine whether internal organs are enlarged. An echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) may be done before starting chemotherapy because chemotherapy drugs sometimes affect the heart.

Without treatment, most people with AML die within a few weeks to months of the diagnosis. With therapy, between 20% and 40% of people survive at least 5 years, without any relapse. With intensive treatment, 40 to 50% of younger people can survive at least 5 years. Because relapses almost always occur within the first 5 years after initial treatment, most people who remain leukemia-free after 5 years are considered cured.

Acute promyelocytic leukemia was once considered the most malignant form of leukemia. Now, it is one of the most curable forms of AML. More than 70% of people with acute promyelocytic leukemia can be cured. Rapid diagnosis is essential.

• Chemotherapy

• Stem cell transplantation

Treatment of AML is aimed at bringing about prompt remission—the destruction of the vast majority of leukemia cells. However, treatment often makes people sicker before they get better.

Treatment suppresses bone marrow activity, resulting in very few white blood cells, particularly neutrophils White Blood Cells The main components of blood include Plasma Red blood cells White blood cells Platelets read more

Induction chemotherapy is the first phase of AML treatment. Chemotherapy drugs generally include cytarabine for 7 days given by a continuous infusion and daunorubicin (or idarubicin or mitoxantrone) given intravenously for 3 days. Other drugs that may be given include midostaurin or gemtuzumab oxogamicin, or decitabine, azacitidine, venetoclax, or glasdegib (especially in older people or people with certain subtypes of AML).

Consolidation chemotherapy is given once AML is in remission. People usually receive several courses of additional chemotherapy beginning a few weeks after the initial treatment to help ensure that as many leukemia cells as possible are destroyed.

Unlike in acute lymphocytic leukemia, preventive treatment to the brain usually is not needed for adults, and long-term lower-dose chemotherapy (maintenance therapy) has not been shown to improve survival.

People with acute promyelocytic leukemia can be treated with a type of vitamin A called all-trans-retinoic acid (tretinoin). Chemotherapy is frequently combined with the all-trans-retinoic acid, especially if the person has a high white blood cell count at the time of diagnosis or if the white blood cell count rises suddenly. Arsenic trioxide is also uniquely effective in this subtype of AML.

When relapse occurs, additional chemotherapy for people unable to undergo stem cell transplantation is less effective and often poorly tolerated. Another course of chemotherapy is most effective in younger people and in people whose initial remission lasted longer than 1 year. Doctors take many factors into consideration when determining the advisability of additional intensive chemotherapy for people with AML in relapse.

The following is an English-language resource that may be useful. Please note that the MANUAL is not responsible for the content of this resource.

What is the WBC count in AML?

Are WBC high or low in AML?

What happens to WBC in acute myeloid leukemia?

Which white blood cells are high in leukemia?