Ok here's how I memorized it (not learned) think of these as high yield hints not a substitute for learning the details:
Leukemia arises from Bone Marrow while Lymphoma arises from Lymph.
First I usually divide it age wise which isn't 100 percent accurate but during questions they usually test classical scenarios and real life situations so it mostly works.
Infant-------15 yrs old---------------------------60 yrs old--------Older
ALL CML or AML CLL
It helps deduce certain options.
You can look at onsets like if its acute then think AML or ALL (I know you're thinking "obviously", but surprisingly a lot students don't pay attention to onsets).
For AML think: AML (M3 form) = Auer rods and Vit A (All trans retinoic acid)
For CML think: CML= Abel(bcr-abl) goes to see(C) Philly(Philadelphia chromosome) and buys a Mat(imatinub[a bcr-abl inhibitor]).
For Translocations use only the first number of the translocation with the first letter of the disease:
9.P = The 9. looks like a mirror image of P. t(9;22) Philadelphia chromosome CML
8B = The 8 looks like a B with a line. t(8;14) Burkitt's Lymphoma
11.M = The 11 looks like a M. t(11;14) Mantle cell lymphoma
14.F = Fourteen starts with the letter F. t(14;18) Follicular cell lymphoma
15A = Okay honestly for this I got nothing lol but I just think of double odd numbers. t(15;17) AML
These are just a few small ways to go through questions quicker saving time. I have all the details and mechanisms memorized but these definitely help in test taking and time-saving. And I have about 2 110-page hand-written notebooks, with stuff like this making the detail learning simpler for me, all memorized.
But rmbr there are other countless infos and lab findings that you need to interpret in order to solve questions for example:
-In CML and Leukemoid Reaction the WBC >50,000/mm3 but what differentiates them is that in CML the Leukocyte Alkaline Phosphotase(LAP) score is low while in Leukemoid Reaction the score is normal/high.
-Patients with AML will have High Myeloblasts (blasts) rather than a "few blasts"(Low myeloblasts) as in CML.
As you can see non of those quick high yields explained this which is what you most likely should expect on the Step 1 to be like (NOT EASY). But don't let that scare you lol. The best advice is repetition and questions. Constantly going over materials/content will make it fluid, kind of like a reflex at one point where it should come to you without even thinking.
Good Luck and hope this helped!
