Doctors classify acute myeloid leukemia (AML) into subtypes by using various tests. It's important to know your AML subtype because it plays a large part in determining the type of treatment you'll receive.
World Health Organization (WHO) Classification System
The World Health Organization (WHO) classification is the main system used to classify AML into subtypes. The subtypes of AML are based on the genetic abnormalities (gene or chromosome changes) in the myeloblasts (leukemia cells) and the percentage of myeloblasts present in bone marrow and blood.
The table below is based on the World Health Organization (WHO) classification.