Eunice Wang, MD, Chief of the Leukemia Service at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, talks about the need for cancer patients, like those with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), keep to their regular appointments and treatment schedules during the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Most cancer clinics provide the necessary precautions to keep patients as safe as possible during this pandemic. And as Dr. Wang notes in this interview, cancers such as AML are very treatable but also very aggressive if not managed properly. Therefore, it is important that patients work with their oncologists to keep their treatment regimen and do so as safely as possible.
AML is a rare blood cancer that often develops quickly and has an aggressive course. The signs and symptoms of AML vary but may include easy bruising; bone pain or tenderness; fatigue; fever; frequent nosebleeds; bleeding from the gums; shortness of breath; and/or weightloss. AML is one of the more common types of leukemia among adults and is rarely diagnosed in people under age 40.