Acute myeloid leukemia (
AML), also known as
acute myelogenous leukemia or
acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (
ANLL), is a
cancer of the
myeloid line of blood cells, characterized by the rapid growth of abnormal
white blood cells that accumulate in the
bone marrow and interfere with
the production of normal blood cells. AML is the most common
acute leukemia affecting adults, and its
incidence increases with age. Although AML is a relatively
rare disease, accounting for roughly 1.2% of cancer deaths in the United States, its incidence is expected to increase as the population ages.