Diagnosing Acute Myeloid Leukemia at Cleveland Clinic

Before we jump into crafting your custom treatment plan, we want to hear from you. You’re the one who may have felt the weight of wondering what might be wrong. You’re the one who may have struggled with fatigue, loss of appetite, bruising or night sweats. So, we want to know everything we can about you and your experience so far. There are several different types of AML to talk about:

All the AML types affect your blood cell levels, but different types of AML cause different symptoms and respond to treatment in different ways. You might have:

APL is considered an emergency, but providers can also treat it effectively with a “chemo-free” regimen.

We know you might feel stunned, full of questions and a bit overwhelmed when you come in for your first appointment. We understand. It’s a lot to take in. So, we’ll start with a conversation. We’ll talk about:

What kind of symptoms you have

Whether your symptoms came on suddenly or gradually

When you first noticed your symptoms

If your symptoms have gotten worse

How your symptoms are affecting your daily life

We’ll also go over your medical history (including reviewing any tests or treatments you may have already had) and give you a physical exam so we can check your overall health. Your provider may look for other symptoms that may indicate AML, like headaches, fever, shortness of breath (dyspnea) or infections. They may also check for swollen lymph nodes, or an enlarged liver (hepatomegaly) or spleen (splenomegaly).

To narrow down your specific diagnosis, your provider may order some tests, like:

We know that these tests can sometimes be uncomfortable, but they’re our best way to understand what’s going on so we can create a personalized treatment plan.

Your provider may also want to do a few more in-depth tests. These tests can give us detailed information on the specific gene mutation (change) and type of AML you may have. They could include:

Our team-based approach to diagnosis, treatment and follow-up means our healthcare providers are here for you at each step. They’re all selected based on your specific needs. Your providers for AML could include:

Locations

We offer treatment for acute myeloid leukemia at the following locations in Northeast Ohio and Florida.

We understand that an AML diagnosis can stop you in your ­tracks — and that facing treatment can be unsettling. Our providers will be with you through every step. We’ll work with you to create a treatment plan that’s designed specifically for you.

Throughout it all, we’ll talk to you about your options and help guide you through the treatment process. Our goal is complete remission. That means your tests show your blood counts are normal, and we don’t see cancer cells in your bone marrow. In some cases, we may even cure AML through a bone marrow transplant. Your treatment could include:

The first treatment for AML is most often chemotherapy. Providers do this in three steps:

Induction therapy: This is chemo aimed at destroying as many AML cancer cells as possible. Usually, this therapy requires a hospital stay and could take place over four to six weeks.

Consolidation therapy: This chemo will begin once your AML is in remission. You’ll need chemotherapy treatments five days a month for three or four months to destroy as many remaining cancerous cells as possible.

Your provider might also recommend targeted therapy. This treatment zeros in on certain genetic mutations in cancerous cells to keep them from growing. We may use this therapy to treat AML that has come back (recurred) or hasn’t responded to chemo. Monoclonal antibody therapy is one type of targeted therapy that we often use to treat AML. Your provider may also use oral targeted therapy to target certain mutations found in the AML cells (known as FLT3, IDH1, IDH2, KMT2A and NPM1).

Your providers may talk with you about having an allogeneic stem cell (bone marrow) transplant — putting healthy cells from someone else into your body. This is the only treatment that can cure AML, but only some people are candidates. After the transplant, the new cells should make healthy cells in your bone marrow.

Moving forward toward recovery from acute myeloid leukemia may seem far off and unclear when you start out. We understand that uncertainty. Our team of expert healthcare providers will be there to support you at every point and map out a clear, customized treatment plan.

If you have AML, you may have been experiencing many symptoms and feeling uncertain about what comes next. Having a rare blood cancer can be a shocking discovery. Our team of experts is here with the knowledge and support to help you manage the next steps in your journey. We’ll take those important steps together and get you the best possible treatment and follow-up care.

Getting an appointment with Cleveland Clinic’s acute myeloid leukemia (AML) experts is easy. We’ll help you get care.

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