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Myeloid leukaemia is a cancer that begins not in a bone or an organ, but deep inside the marrow of the bones, the factory where blood cells are produced.
AML is dangerous because its early symptoms often feel like flu or everyday exhaustion. (Image: AFP)
Tatiana Schlossberg, the granddaughter of former US President John F Kennedy, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 35 after a battle with acute myeloid leukaemia. An environmental journalist and climate activist, Schlossberg died fighting one of the most aggressive forms of blood cancer.
In an article published in November in The New Yorker titled “A Battle With My Blood,” Schlossberg revealed that she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in May 2024, shortly after delivering her second child. What began as routine blood tests following childbirth revealed an unusually high white blood cell count. Within hours, that anomaly led to a diagnosis no one expects at that age — a fast-moving and often unforgiving cancer that rarely strikes young adults.
In the essay, she reflected on the shock of her diagnosis, the brutality of the treatments, and the heartbreak of thinking about her young children growing up without her.
Schlossberg’s death has reignited conversations around acute myeloid leukaemia, a disease that often advances silently and is notoriously difficult to detect early. What makes it so aggressive? Which part of the body does it attack? And why does it so often go unnoticed until it is already advanced? Here’s what we know.
Myeloid Leukaemia: A Cancer Deep Inside Bones
Myeloid leukaemia is a cancer that begins not in a bone or an organ, but deep inside the marrow of the bones, the factory where blood cells are produced.
Myeloid leukaemia refers to a type of cancer that affects your body’s ability to produce normal red (and white) blood cells in normal amounts because your body’s bone marrow produces an increased number of abnormal myeloid (immature) white blood cells, which are unable to work as effectively as normal mature leukocytes.
In healthy bodies, the marrow produces red blood cells that carry oxygen, white blood cells that fight infection, and platelets that help stop bleeding. In acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), this careful balance collapses.
Dr Raman Narang, Consultant Medical & Haematology Oncology at MOC Cancer Care & Research Centre in New Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar, explains, “Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) arises from increased production of myeloid cells in an accelerated fashion, resulting in rapid disease progression.”
A genetic glitch in immature myeloid cells causes them to multiply rapidly and uncontrollably. These immature cells, called myeloblasts, flood the bloodstream, crowding out healthy cells and crippling the body’s ability to breathe, defend and heal.
Unlike many cancers with stages that stretch over years, AML is “acute” because it escalates quickly. Without treatment, it can be fatal in weeks or months. With treatment, remission remains a fragile achievement, and relapse is common.
“These adult-type blood cancers need immediate medical attention because of the proliferation of numerous immature myeloid blast cells,” Dr Narang adds.
Why AML Is So Dangerous
What makes acute myeloid leukaemia particularly lethal is its rapid pace and its assault on the body’s lifelines.
“AML is unique among the blood cancers since it develops so rapidly, and is caused by the rapid and uncontrolled division of immature myeloid cells, instead of being preceded by the chronic forms of leukaemias, which can remain stable for many years before progression to the acute form of leukaemia,” says Dr Narang.
“This fact presents a unique challenge in terms of early diagnosis and prompt initiation of effective therapeutic measures,” he adds.
Dr Narag says AML is aggressive because abnormal blood cells grow very fast in the bone marrow, leaving little room for healthy cells. Without quick treatment, patients can quickly develop severe anaemia, frequent infections and dangerous bleeding disorders.
Symptoms That Are Easy To Miss
Dr Narang explains that early symptoms of acute myeloid leukaemia are often vague and nonspecific, making them easy to confuse with common conditions such as viral infections, stress or iron deficiency.
Signs like fatigue, fever or weakness usually don’t raise immediate alarm, which is why many people are diagnosed only after blood tests show significant abnormalities or symptoms worsen.
He adds that early AML symptoms frequently go unnoticed. Persistent tiredness, repeated infections, unexplained fever, easy bruising or bleeding gums, shortness of breath and unusually pale skin are often blamed on work stress, lifestyle issues or nutritional deficiencies, leading many to delay seeking medical attention until the condition becomes more severe.
Is AML Rare In Young People?
“AML can impact young adults as well as individuals who have no pre-existing health issues. The majority of cases occur in older persons, but AML can occur quickly and escalate rapidly in younger patients as well,” says Dr Narang.
He adds, “Early symptoms may appear to be minor because the young patient does not have any other underlying health problems.”
Familial AML is quite rare, with the majority of cases being caused by acquired genetic alterations to the bone marrow over a long period. A very small percentage of patients experience a genetic disorder that increases their risk for AML historically.
Treatment Battles And A Rare Mutation
Once diagnosed, AML treatment becomes an intense race. It often begins with chemotherapy designed to wipe out cancerous cells, followed by attempts to reboot the bone marrow. For many patients, a stem cell transplant, often from a donor, offers the best hope for lasting remission.
Dr Narang highlights that AML is usually treated with intensive chemotherapy, genetically-based targeted therapies and, in selected patients, bone marrow or stem cell transplantation.
“Supportive Care is very important. Today’s treatment is becoming more personalised, considering the age and fitness of the patient, along with the biological condition of the disease and the genetic risk, thus creating a specific treatment plan; this approach is known as Precision Oncology,” he adds.
Schlossberg underwent rounds of chemotherapy, two stem cell transplants and participated in clinical trials. Her doctors also identified a rare genetic variant of the disease known as inversion 3, which is typically seen in older patients and carries an especially poor prognosis.
This variant is said to be one of the most aggressive forms of AML, difficult to bring under control and less responsive to available therapies.
Despite every available treatment, her medical team eventually shared that they could likely keep her alive for about a year, maybe.
How Common Is It In India?
“AML is one of the most frequently encountered acute leukaemias in the adult population of India, with a marked increase in the number of reported cases over the last several years,” says Dr Narang
He points out that this rise can largely be attributed to increased awareness of AML, better diagnostic facilities, and longer life expectancy among patients. Greater access to laboratory testing and cancer treatment centres has also contributed to higher detection of the disease.
December 31, 2025, 12:31 IST
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