Well there just are not that many your age who get it. Not sure if it has to do with the immune system getting worn down or perhaps the longer you live the greater the chance of coming down with it -- but the average age is somewhere in the 65-70 area and that age occurs so much that perhaps it is not just chance. I do not think getting it young indicates that there is anything wrong -- you could have been exposed to benzene or some other chemical that booted one of your stem cells and got it started producing the nasty blasts. One thing for sure, you have a big edge being young. We have several in their 30s I believe, but I know of no one your age. But perhaps the youngsters will jump in -- that would be anyone less than 40 I would say. Being 70 I cannot help you too much except to say that if I can get through it (about 4.5 years survivor at this point), then I know you can. Take care -- dave

My son was 29 when he was diagnosed in August last year. We have met several other young people, one 23 just this spring. They are there just not in huge numbers.

My son is 33 and was dx with MDS & AML on 3/24/14. He is going through consolidation now and they will be looking for a donor for him as he needs a SCT for the MDS.

Karen

Hello there,
I'm 24 (going on 25) and was diagnosed in Feb with AML with inv 16. Im currently recieving my third round of consolidation (out of four). I sympathize with not knowing others of the same age who are dealing with this horrible disease. If you are interested maybe we can talk sometime.

I am like you, only even farther back on the age spectrum. My son was diagnosed with AML in September 2013, less than 2 weeks after his 2nd birthday. It is hard to find others who have walked the same path. He completed his 4th and final round of chemo in January. I have yet to find a similar group for parents of children with AML ( as it is so rare). Most of the time I run across these families through Facebook pages and such, which tends not to be as helpful, since I have yet to find a regularly updated page to chronical triumphs over the disease. Most of them are families actively involved in treatment or a short time out from it--or worse, families dealing with relapse. That is why I find this group helpful. There are people in all stages of recovery or treatment, which is refreshing. It is such a scary disease to deal with, and support is so amazingly helpful. I hope you find others like yourself, and I wish you the best in your journey.

I was 29 at dx
While everyone here knows and understands what you are going through medically, it can seem like you are little on the outside just because you are in a different stage of life. Getting stuck in the adult cancer wards can be a difficult experience. Issues that a young person has to address are not dealt with nor addresses as well as they should be addressed. If your center has a young adult navigator it can help. The people here are all very supportive.
If you are interested
LLS has a Tuesday night Young Adult chat (Under 40) there are some AMLers and a mix of other blood cancers. It depends on who logs in each week. You can find the sign up link here -http://www.lls.org/diseaseinformation/managingyourcancer/newlydiagnosed/teensyoungadults/
Sage is the social worker who moderates the chat. There is a FB group spin off.
Stick around here too - you will find a wealth of information.

My husband is 28. He is awaiting his counts to recover after his 2nd round of consolidation to move into round 3. He has been in hospital since 13 January 2014 and we are not expecting him to come home any time soon.

He is a little strange as he has the 8:21 translocation for AML (diagnosed January 2014) and 9:22 for CML (diagnosed October 2013) so is being treated for both.

He also had a mass form in his spine from leukemic cells which they have been able to clear with radiation but the spinal cord compression remains so he is paralyzed and won't walk again.

Hi, my partner is 24 turning 25 this year. Got diagnosed with AML in february this year. Cytogenetics came back as t(X;10), which has very few reported cases. Relapsed after first round of consolidation, about to go into BMT. We haven't really found many other young adults either here in Melbourne, Australia.

Hello, I've been lurking for a while and your post inspired me to finally join up. I was 28 at diagnosis (15 months ago), and completed treatment with induction and two rounds of consolidation. Nahsee I was also treated in Melbourne, so your partner is not alone - although I do remember feeling quite out of place, being the youngest person on the ward. To complicate things I'm also a doctor so that brought along its own set of challenges.

Spaz,

Welcome. I am not young like you, but am also a physician. It will be helpful to this group to share our combined knowledge to answer questions. I am 33 months post transplant (was intermediate cytogenetics) and am doing well.

Cliff

Based on the AML definition on this page:

"Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), also known as acute myeloid leukemia, is a cancer of the myeloid line of blood cells. The median age of patients with AML is 70; it is rare among children."

We ARE ALL too young for this disease!!! This is one huge reason I never look at statistics on this heinous monster because they are based on a median DX age of 70.

I was 48 when DXd 15 months ago and was treated on a dedicated floor for Acute Leukemia and Lymphoma and I never met any 70 year olds. Conversely I met and walked the halls with many 20 to 30 year olds with AML. This can likely be attributed to the fact that Utah has the lowest median age in the nation due to our high birth rate.

AML is no respecter of persons. God bless you all on your individual journeys to recapture your health and life. I'm praying for all of you!

Julie

Hi there!
I totally understand this as I am in the same boat. I am 18 years old and was diagnosed with AML on the 7/5/2014. Where I am currently receiving treatment there is no one even remotely close to my age to speak with and it's hard! So I just thought I would let you know I understand how you're feeling and offer myself for a chat if you ever need or want to talk to someone closer to your age :)
Good luck with everything! x