How Many People Get Acute Myeloid Leukemia?
In 2006 there will be about 35,070 new cases of all types of leukemia in the United States. About half of these will be acute leukemias. There will be about 11,930 new cases of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). Nine out of 10 cases of AML are found in adults. There will be about 9,040 deaths from AML in the United States this year. The average age of a patient with AML is 65. AML is slightly more common among men than among women. AML can be kept in remission for a long time or cured in some adults. Depending on certain features of the leukemia cells, some patients have a better and some a worse outlook (prognosis). Overall, the 5-year survival rate in adults under 65 is about 33%. In people over 65 it is 4%. The 5-year survival rate refers to the percentage of patients who live at least 5 years after their cancer is found. Of course, many people live much longer than 5 years. What Causes Acute Myeloid Leukemia? A risk factor is something that increases a person’s chance of getting a d
