Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia - Prognosis

Treatment

Treatment Phases

There are typically three treatment stages for the average-risk patient with ALL:

• Induction therapy is given in order to achieve a first remission (the absence of active cancer)
• Consolidation (intensification) therapy is given to prevent relapse after remission has been achieved
• Maintenance treatment is lower intensity therapy given for several years to prevent relapse after remission

Because leukemia can also spread to the brain and spinal cord, where chemotherapy that is given intravenously or orally does not penetrate very well, most patients also need radiation to the brain and spinal cord, or chemotherapy that is injected into the layers around them. This is called central nervous system prophylaxis (preventive treatment) and is given during all treatment phases to prevent the cancer from spreading to the brain and spinal cord.

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Specific Treatments Used in ALL

The following are specific treatments used for ALL:

• Chemotherapy is the primary treatment for each stage. Newer drugs known as biological therapies are also being used.
• Radiation to the brain and spinal cord is also administered in some cases.
• A bone marrow transplant may be recommended for some adult patients after treatment when there is no active cancer (remission) or for adults and children if the cancer has returned after treatment (relapsed).

Review Date: 01/27/2011
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).