Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia
Alternate Names : Acute Childhood Leukemia, ALL, Cancer - Acute Childhood Leukemia (ALL)
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Treatment
The goal of treatment is remission of the cancer. A remission is achieved when the peripheral blood counts and the bone marrow are normal.
Acute lymphocytic leukemia is treated with a combination of anti-cancer drugs (chemotherapy). A hospitalization of 3 to 6 weeks may be necessary for initial (induction) chemotherapy, however, subsequent chemotherapy sessions may be administered on an outpatient basis. Additionally, isolation procedures may be necessary if the lymphocyte count is very low to prevent exposure to infectious agents.
Chemotherapy typically consists of a combination of 3 to 8 medications which may include: prednisone, vincristine, methotrexate, 6-mercaptopurine, and cyclophosphamide. It may also be necessary to administer blood products (e.g., packed red blood cells, platelets) to correct the anemia and low platelet count. Antibiotic therapy may be required to treat any secondary infections that develop.
After remission is achieved, chemotherapy or radiation therapy is administered in the spinal column to treat any leukemic cells that may have invaded the spinal fluid.
Subsequent therapy is directed at preventing relapse and consists of maintenance chemotherapy for up to one year . A bone marrow transplant after high-dose chemotherapy is a treatment option for cases that relapse or do not respond to other treatments.
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