Acute promyelocytic leukemia is one of the rarest and most aggressive types of leukemia. It causes abnormal production of immature blood-forming cells known as promyelocytes. These cells are usually found in the blood and bone marrow. When promyelocytes are formed in abundance, it leads to a shortage of healthy white and red blood cells and platelets. One of the most common symptoms of acute promyelocytic leukemia is an increased risk of bleeding and blood clotting.

In some cases, people may also experience fatigue, pain, and loss of weight and appetite. Although the condition can be diagnosed at any age, it usually occurs in middle-aged adults. The condition is a result of a mutation and usually involves the translocation between chromosomes 15 and 17.

1. Common symptoms of acute promyelocytic leukemia
Sometimes, people suffering from this type of leukemia may experience different symptoms. However, in about 30 to 79% of acute promyelocytic leukemia patients, the most common symptoms are:

• Anemia
• Anorexia
• Bone marrow hypercellularity
• Risk of bruising
• Chronic infection
• Disseminated intravascular coagulation
• Exertional dyspnea
• Tiredness
• Fever
• Bleeding gums
• Leukopenia
• Muscular weakness
• Reduced blood cell count
• Low platelet count
• Vertigo
• Weight loss

2. Rarer symptoms of acute promyelocytic leukemia

Meanwhile, in 5 to 29% of the cases of acute promyelocytic leukemia, the following symptoms are seen:

• Pain in the stomach
• Bone pain
• Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage
• Enlargement of the gums
• Increased white blood cell count
• Swelling in the lymph nodes
• Bleeding from the mouth
• Wet cough
• Abnormal bleeding from the uterus

3. Causes of acute myeloid leukemia
This condition takes place due to translocation or rearrangement of chromosomes. The mutation occurs in some of the cells during a person’s lifetime. In this translocation, a fusion between two genes takes place. As a result, the genes involved are the PML gene on chromosome 15 and the RARA gene on chromosome 17. The end-product of this mutation is a protein called PML-RaRa. This protein does not function normally unlike the protein produced by normal PML and RARA genes. Consequently, the blood cells stop at the promyelocyte stage and do not grow the way they are supposed to. When the promyelocyte cells get accumulated in the bone marrow, the normal production of white blood cells gets disrupted. It then causes acute myeloid leukemia. Mutation involving the RARA gene and other genes has been found only in a few cases of acute myeloid leukemia.

Thankfully, the condition cannot be inherited since the mutation of the genes takes place over the course of a person’s life. These mutations are known as somatic mutations. Mutations like these can cause cancer but cannot be passed onto the next generation. This is why predictive genetic testing cannot be used to diagnose acute myeloid leukemia.