Acute myeloid leukemia is one of three types of leukemia that can form in the blood and bone marrow. Primarily called AML, it is the most common type of acute leukemia found in adults over age 65 but can increase with age. Acute myeloid leukemia starts in the bone marrow but can spread into the blood. It is defined as myeloid cancer, which may be related to bone marrow, a line of blood cells caused by the rapid growth of abnormal white blood cells that accumulate in the bone marrow. It stops the production of normal blood cells. The three different types of blood cells that AML would be found in are red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets which are a small fragment of colorless cells. This type of cancer can get worse quickly if left untreated or discovered. An interesting fact about acute myeloid leukemia is that they are classified under different names such as acute granulocytic leukemia, acute myelioblastic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, and acute nonmphocytic leukemia. More than 15,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with it each year. Many researchers don't have a clear reason as to what may trigger AML, but they have some hypotheses. Smoking and radiation exposure are two of the main factors that could cause acute myeloid leukemia. Past chemotherapy could trigger AML to return or start for the first time. Genes and blood disorders can be a factor, especially if there is a history of both in your family. People exposed to benzene, which is used as a starting material to make other materials or used in gasoline and cigarette smoke, are at high risk. Some other people believe that overweight people may be at risk. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy is another theory involving damaged or diseased stem cells. Another type of therapy patients can do is targeted therapy, which is a type of drug that blocks the growth of tumor cells by fighting targeted molecules needed for tumor growth. This therapy is said to be effective compared to other treatments and less harmful to cells. Treatments vary depending on cancer and other diseases, but many treatments are used to treat different things and types. Acute myeloid leukemia is a rare and more common type of leukemia found in adults. It can be cured but treatments vary and the survival rate depends on many factors. People have a five-year survival rate of 24%. Many people do not get acute myeloid leukemia until they are over 65 years old. Other factors such as weight and lifestyle depend on the survival rate. AML can be a fatal disease if left untreated or discovered early on.