Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is a type of cancer that starts in the bone marrow but often quickly moves into the blood. It is 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 usually treated with chemotherapy but may use other treatments instead.
How Does AML Develop?
AML develops when DNA in the bone marrow cells mutates. These mutations can cause the cells to grow and divide uncontrollably. While the exact cause of these mutations is often unknown, exposure to certain toxic substances has been linked to an increased risk of developing AML.
Symptoms of AML
AML symptoms can vary but commonly include:
- Fatigue and weakness
- Frequent infections
- Easy bruising or bleeding
- Shortness of breath
- Fever
- Weight loss or loss of appetite
- Bone or joint pain
Subtypes of AML
AML is divided into eight different subtypes. The subtypes are essential as they determine the type of treatment the patient will receive. They are also a determinant, along with age, of the patient’s survival rates.
- M0: Undifferentiated AML
- M1: AML with minimal maturation
- M2: AML with maturation
- M3: Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL)
- M4: Acute myelomonocytic leukemia
- M5: Acute monocytic leukemia
- M6: Acute erythroid leukemia
- M7: Acute megakaryocytic leukemia
Risk Factors for Getting AML
Age: While AML can happen at any age, it is more common the older you get
Sex: Men are more likely than women to develop AML, thought to be because men are more likely to smoke and be exposed to more chemicals in the workplace
Genetic Syndromes: People with specific inherited syndromes are more likely to develop AML
Smoking: Smoking increases the risk of AML
Previous Treatment: Previous treatment of radiation or chemotherapy therapy makes individuals more likely to develop AML
Exposure to Certain Chemicals: Chemicals such as benzene have been found to increase the risk of getting AML
Occupations Most At Risk For Getting AML
Chemical plant workers: These professionals handle and process benzene as part of their job responsibilities. They may work in plants that produce petrochemicals, plastics, rubber, and other chemical products.
Refinery workers: Benzene is a component of crude oil and is commonly present in oil refineries. Workers involved in refining processes such as distillation, reforming and cracking may be exposed to benzene.
Railroaders and Railroad industry workers: Jobs on the railroad face a multitude of toxic exposures from chemicals to dust such as benzene, diesel exhaust, solvents, creosote, herbicides, silica dust, and asbestos dust.
Gasoline station workers: Those employed at gasoline stations may have occupational exposure to benzene due to the handling and storage of gasoline containing varying amounts of benzene.
Petrochemical industry workers: Professionals involved in the production of various petroleum-derived chemicals, such as styrene, ethylbenzene, and cyclohexane, may be exposed to benzene.
Rubber industry workers: Benzene is often used as a solvent in the production of rubber products, including tires, hoses, and conveyor belts. Workers involved in the manufacturing process may come in contact with benzene.
Painters: Some paints, primarily oil-based paints, may contain benzene. Painters who use such paints regularly may have inhalation exposure to benzene.
Industrial cleaners: Certain industrial cleaning agents may contain benzene, and industrial cleaners who use or handle these chemicals may be exposed to it.
Chemists and laboratory technicians: Professionals working in laboratories where benzene or benzene-containing compounds are used for research, testing, or analysis may be exposed to benzene during work activities.
Printing industry workers: Benzene is often used as a solvent in printing inks, especially in flexography and gravure printing. Printers who handle these inks may be exposed to benzene.
Welders: Benzene can be produced as a byproduct when welding various materials, especially those containing hydrocarbons. Welders who work with benzene-containing materials may be exposed to benzene through inhalation.
Firefighters: Benzene is released into the air during fires involving materials that contain it. Firefighters engaged in firefighting and rescue operations where such fires occur may be exposed to benzene.
Agricultural workers: Pesticides and herbicides may contain benzene or benzene-related compounds. Workers applying these chemicals or working in fields treated with them may be exposed to benzene.
Paint manufacturing workers: Benzene can be used as a solvent or a raw material in the production
Sources and Effects of Toxins Linked to AML
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- Benzene
- Source: Found in industrial processes like chemical manufacturing, petroleum refining, and cigarette smoke.
- Effect: Long-term exposure can lead to genetic mutations in bone marrow cells, increasing the risk of AML.
- Ionizing Radiation
- Source: Exposure to high doses, such as atomic bomb radiation or radiation therapy for cancer treatment.
- Effect: DNA damage in bone marrow cells contributes to the development of AML as a secondary cancer.
- Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy
- Source: Used in cancer treatment protocols.
- Effect: Some chemotherapy agents (e.g., alkylating agents, topoisomerase II inhibitors) and radiation therapy can cause genetic damage to bone marrow cells, leading to secondary AML.
- Formaldehyde
- Source: Found in industrial settings, some household products, and cigarette smoke.
- Effect: Prolonged exposure may increase the risk of genetic mutations in blood cells, potentially leading to AML.
- Tobacco Smoke
- Source: Inhalation of cigarette smoke.
- Effect: Contains benzene and other carcinogens that can induce genetic mutations in bone marrow cells, increasing the risk of AML.
- Pesticides and Herbicides
- Source: Agricultural use and exposure in occupational settings.
- Effect: Some chemicals (e.g., benzene-based compounds) in pesticides and herbicides have been linked to an increased risk of AML, although the evidence is less definitive than other toxins.
- Viral Infections
- Source: Infections with certain viruses like human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV-1).
- Effect: In rare cases, viral infections may lead to genetic changes in blood cells, potentially contributing to the development of AML.
- Benzene
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