Key Statistics for Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)
The American Cancer Society’s estimates for leukemia in the United States for 2020 are:
- About 60,530 new cases of leukemia (all kinds) and 23,100 deaths from leukemia (all kinds)
- About 19,940 new cases of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Most will be in adults.
- About 11,180 deaths from AML. Almost all will be in adults.
AML is one of the most common types of leukemia in adults. Still, AML is fairly rare overall, accounting for only about 1% of all cancers.
AML is generally a disease of older people and is uncommon before the age of 45. The average age of people when they are first diagnosed with AML is about 68. But AML can occur in children as well.
AML is slightly more common among men than women, but the average lifetime risk of getting AML in both sexes is about ½ of 1%.
Information on treatment success rates for AML in adults can be found in Treatment Response Rates for Acute Myeloid Leukemia.
Visit the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Statistics Center for more key statistics.
The American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team
Our team is made up of doctors and oncology certified nurses with deep knowledge of cancer care as well as journalists, editors, and translators with extensive experience in medical writing.
American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures 2020. Atlanta, Ga: American Cancer Society; 2020.
National Cancer Institute. SEER Cancer Stat Facts: Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Accessed at https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/amyl.html on June 12, 2018.
Last Medical Review: August 21, 2018 Last Revised: January 8, 2020
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