Diagnosis
11/18/2021 - 11/22/2021
Ian was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia on November 18, 2021. What were his symptoms, you ask? Two weeks of fatigue and many swollen lymph nodes. While the internet usually says you’re going to die (right?), this time it just said that his body was fighting a virus. To be safe, Ian went to urgent care and thankfully, the proper blood tests were ordered. A day later, the AML diagnosis came… by way of the online portal! (HIPAA has its downsides.) Over the weekend, we sat is sorrow and confusion (canceling a trip to Omaha for the Triumph championship match). On Monday morning, the oncologist’s first words were, “I’m sorry, I should have seen you on Friday.” Needless to say, that put us in shock. The doctor sounded like an adult on Charlie Brown (wah wah wah). She confirmed that Ian had AML (which we had never heard of) and said he would be admitted to our hospital straight away for 30 days of intense chemo. The severity and urgency of the diagnosis was hard to comprehend. Although Ian felt well enough to play Ultimate the day he got the news (#frisbeeislife), his prognosis was only 6 weeks without treatment, given that 80% of his blood cells were Leukemia blasts. Would an annual physical have caught this earlier? Nope. While cells mutate over a long period of time, making one susceptible to cancer, AML comes on suddenly. Ian’s blood cells had started going wonky just a few weeks prior. Now it seemed our lives were turned upside down.
What is AML? It is aggressive and often lethal form of Leukemia, a cancer of the bone marrow and blood. AML occurs when the DNA of a developing stem cell in the bone marrow is damaged. This is called an “acquired mutation.” This damaged cell multiplies into billions of cells called leukemic blasts. As a result, the number of healthy blood cells (red cells, white cells and platelets) is reduced. Without healthy blood, the body cannot function as it should. While the cause of AML is often unknown, several factors are associated with an increased risk, including: advanced age, male gender, smoking, chemical exposure, genetic disorders and previous cancer treatment.
Leukemia is not classified in stages, as are cancers with solid tumors (indicating size and spread). AML is given a subtype based on the genetic mutations present. Physicians are better able to predict how the cancer will respond to treatment based on the cellular classification and, in turn, can more accurately assess the prognosis. Ian has 11 genetic mutations, which is an unusually high number, and only one can be targeted by a novel drug therapy. His risk category is intermediate, meaning his Leukemia may be more resistant to treatment and his chance of relapse is significant. Thus, Ian needs strong chemo to achieve remission and then a stem cell transplant for a chance to be cured. Learn more about AML at LLS.org.