Myelogenous Leukemia Treatment
- The first step in treating myelongeous leukemia is a form of very aggressive and intense chemotherapy called induction chemotherapy. This is a one week chemotherapy regimen, which usually uses two drugs: cytarabine and an anthracycline drug (usually Idamycin or Daunomycin). Following the week of chemotherapy, patients usually require one- to two-weeks of hospitalization to recuperate. If the induction chemotherapy does not induce remission, the treatment may be repeated one or two additional times. About 70 to 80 percent of adults under 60, 50 percent of adults over 60, and 90 percent of children go into remission as a result of induction chemotherapy.
- Induction chemotherapy is usually followed by consolidation chemotherapy to kill any remaining cancer cells. High doses of cytarabine are usually administered as part of consolidation therapy, and three or more cycles may be prescribed.
- Bone marrow or cord blood transplant is another treatment option, which may be used in conjunction with chemotherapy. While chemotherapy tends to achieve remission, bone marrow and cord blood transplants help to ensure the remission will last. The transplant can either be an autologous transplant, and use blood forming cells collected from the patient with AML, or an allogenic transplant which uses matched donor cells. Side effects from an autologous transplant are less severe, but there is a higher chance of a relapse occurring with an autologous transplant than an allogenic transplant.
