About AML Remission
What is AML remission and why is it important?
What is AML?
AML is a type of leukemia or blood cancer. ‘Acute’ means that AML usually gets worse quickly if it is not treated.
Blood cells are made in your bone marrow by different 'families' of blood stem cells. One family, called the 'myeloid' family, develops:
- Platelets, which help with blood clotting
- Red blood cells, which transport oxygen
- White blood cells, which help fight infection
In AML, myeloid blood cells don't form properly. Instead, immature abnormal cells (or blasts) are produced.
Blasts create chaos in your bone marrow by growing, multiplying, and crowding out normal healthy cells.
This is what causes the symptoms of AML.
Remission is a sign that your acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is under control
Remission means that less than 5% of your bone marrow contains immature abnormal blood cells called blasts.
- Number of blasts is typically measured by a bone marrow biopsy
Remission isn’t the same for everyone:
- Complete remission (or CR) means you have less than 5% blasts, and all your blood counts are normal
- Complete remission with incomplete blood count recovery (or CRi) means you have less than 5% blasts, but some of your blood counts have still not returned to normal
Remission doesn’t mean you’re cured, which is why treating AML after remission is important
- When you’re in remission there are no visible signs of disease, but some cancer cells may be left behind
- When those cells grow, your AML can return, causing a relapse