Acute Myeloid Leukemia and CDC20 gene

Introduction
Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is fast progressing cancer of the blood which originates in the bone marrow. The maturities of the bone marrow cells are prevented in AML. Instead, immature blast cells with increased capacity of mitosis are released into the blood. Around 11 billion blast cells are formed and released from the bone marrow. Thus, AML is a process whereby the hematopoietic precursor cells are transformed in such a way leading to limitless cell cycles and cell divisions. These cells do not undergo apoptosis or programmed cell death, which leads to the progression of cancer. AML is also designated by other classifications like myelocytic, granulocytic, myelogenous and non-lymphocytic leukaemia. In this type of leukaemia the affected cells are RBCs, WBCs and Platelets but do not include lymphocytes. AML can affect various organs like the lymph nodes, liver, spleen and testicles (1).
The risk factors for AML includes smoking, chronic exposure to benzene (as it damages the DNA of bone marrow cells), chemotherapeutic treatment with alkylating agents and topoisomerase II inhibitors and presence of Down’s syndrome or Fanconi anaemia. AML may also be potentiated by polycythemia or myelofibrosis or other forms of blood cancer. AML is the most common form of acute leukaemia which affects older people. It is more prevalent in individuals >60 years of age and predominantly occurs in males. However, 15% to 25% cases of childhood acute le…