Acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL)
APL is a type of blood cancer that affects cells called promyelocytes, which are white blood cells at an early stage of development.
What is APL?
Acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL) happens when the promyelocytes (a type of blood cell) don’t fully develop and become cancerous. Find out more.
APL symptoms and tests
Read about the symptoms of APL and the tests used to diagnose APL.
APL treatment and side effects
Read about how APL is treated and the potential side effects of APL treatments.
Living with APL
Find out where to get support if you or a loved one has been diagnosed with APL.
About this information
This information is accredited with the PIF TICK, the UK's only quality mark for trusted health information.
Last review February 2026. Next full review due February 2029. We may make factual updates to the information between reviews.
Thank you to Professor Steven Knapper and Carla Fitzpatrick, Clinical Educator for Haematology, for checking the clinical accuracy of this APL information.