The American Cancer Society says cancer starts when cells in a particular part of the body begin to grow out of control.
Cells in nearly any part of the body can become cancerous.
Leukaemias are cancers that start in cells that would normally develop into different types of blood cells.
Most often, leukaemia starts in the early forms of white blood cells.
Some leukaemias, however, start in other blood cell types.
There are several types of leukaemia, which are divided based mainly on whether the leukaemia is acute (fast-growing) or chronic (slower growing), and whether it starts in myeloid cells or lymphoid cells.
Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) starts in the bone marrow.
This is the soft inner part of certain bones, where new blood cells are made.
It most often quickly moves into the blood, as well.
It can sometimes spread to other parts of the body including the lymph nodes, liver, spleen, central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and testicles.
Most often, Acute Myeloid Leukemia develops from cells that should turn into white blood cells (other than lymphocytes), but sometimes Acute Myeloid Leukaemia develops in other types of blood-forming cells.
Acute Myeloid Leukaemia has many names, including Acute Myelocytic Leukaemia, Acute Myelogenous Leukaemia, Acute Granulocytic Leukaemia and Acute non-lymphocytic Leukaemia.
Bone marrow is the soft inner part of certain bones.
It is made up of blood-forming cells, fat cells and supporting tissues.
A small fraction of the blood-forming cells are blood stem cells.
Inside the bone marrow, blood stem cells develop into new blood cells.
During this process, the cells become either lymphocytes (a kind of white blood cell) or other blood-forming cells, which are types of myeloid cells.
Myeloid cells can develop into red blood cells, white blood cells (other than lymphocytes) or platelets.
These myeloid cells are the ones that become abnormal in Acute Myeloid Leukaemia.
