Pathophysiology of Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a biologically heterogenous disease arising in clonally proliferating hematopoietic stem cells. Sequential acquisition of mutations leads to expanded proliferation of clonal myeloid progenitors and failure of differentiation, leading to fulminant AML.

Here, we review the pathophysiology of AML with a focus on factors predisposing to AML development, including prior chemo- and radiation therapy, environmental factors, and germline predisposition.

Increasing genomic characterization of AML and insight into mechanisms of its development will be critical to improvement in AML prognostication and therapy.