Risk Stratification and Management of Acute Myeloid Leukemia

A cute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous group of distinct clonal malignancies that differ in their pathogenesis, clinical characteristics, genetic abnormalities, response to treatment, and prognosis (Swerdlow et al., 2008). Acute myeloid leukemia is characterized by a clonal proliferation of myeloid precursors with reduced or absent capacity for differentiation, as well as according to morphology, immunohistochemistry, cell surface markers, cytogenetic abnormalities, and molecular abnormalities. The most important prognostic factors have been shown to be cytogenetic/molecular characteristics of the AML, patient age, and patient performance status (Kantarjian, Schiffer, & Burnett, 2011).