Lymphomas are much more common neoplastic disorders than acute leukemias. Of the acute leukemias, acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is more common than acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL). Of the two, AML is more common in adults and ALL is more common in children. A third acute leukemia, mixed phenotype acute leukemia (MPAL) is rare and can be found in both age groups. As far as gender differences for all leukemias, males in the US have a slightly higher incidence than females.
Although incidence of leukemia has increased over the years, deaths have decreased due to improved treatments and earlier detection.
The remainder of this course will be about diagnosis and treatment.
