What are the different types of acute myeloid leukemia?
There are many subtypes of AML or acute myeloid leukaemia that need to be at least defined. I am not to go through specifically the different types but it can range anywhere from an M1 through an M7, and depends on the specific type of myeloid cell that is abnormal. I think the most important one to differentiate is the M3 subtype. AML M3, referred to as the acute promyelocytic leukaemia, is actually treated differently than M1 through M2 and after that, M4 through M7. The treatment is based on a molecular target that was identified after a genetic mutation was found to cause this particular type of leukaemia. The reason it is important to differentiate between M3 and all the rest is the treatment; the type of treatment, and obviously the outcome. Patients with M3 type leukaemia or acute promyelocytic leukaemia do much better; they have better outcomes and better survival than patients with the other subtypes of leukaemia.
