How is childhood leukemia treated?
It’s important to weigh the benefits of each treatment option against the possible risks and side effects. How is childhood leukemia treated? The main treatment for most childhood leukemias is chemotherapy. For some children with higher risk leukemias, high-dose chemotherapy may be given along with a stem cell transplant.
How do you classify leukemia in children?
Classifying childhood leukemia. Leukemia is not staged like most other cancers. The cancer starts in the bone marrow and quickly spreads to the blood, so leukemia cells are already throughout the body. The most important concern for leukemia is figuring out the type (such as ALL or AML) and subtype of the leukemia.
What kind of chemo do you give a child with leukemia?
Intrathecal chemotherapy: All children also get chemo into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to kill any leukemia cells that might have spread to the brain and spinal cord. This treatment, known as intrathecal chemotherapy, is given through a lumbar puncture (spinal tap).
What are the 4 types of treatment for leukemia?
Key Points. Four types of standard treatment are used: Chemotherapy Radiation therapy Chemotherapy with stem cell transplant Targeted therapy Treatment is given to kill leukemia cells that have spread or may spread to the brain, spinal cord, or testicles. New types of treatment are being tested in clinical trials.
What is the treatment for children with leukemia?
Chemotherapy is the main treatment for childhood leukemia. Your child will get anticancer drugs by mouth, or into a vein or the spinal fluid. To keep leukemia from returning, there may be maintenance therapy in cycles over a period of 2 or 3 years. Sometimes, targeted therapy is also used.
What is the treatment plan for leukemia?
Chemotherapy is the major form of treatment for leukemia. This drug treatment uses chemicals to kill leukemia cells. Depending on the type of leukemia you have, you may receive a single drug or a combination of drugs. These drugs may come in a pill form, or they may be injected directly into a vein.
How long is the treatment for childhood leukemia?
The entire length of treatment is typically about 2 to 3 years, with the most intense treatment in the first few months. Children with ALL are typically classified by risk group to make sure that the correct types and doses of drugs are given. Treatment may be more or less intense, depending on the risk group.
What are the three phases of leukemia treatment?
Chemo treatment for ALL is typically divided into 3 phases:Induction, which is short and intensive, usually lasts about a month.Consolidation (intensification), which is also intensive, typically lasts for a few months.Maintenance (post-consolidation), which is less intensive, typically lasts for about 2 years.
How long is maintenance therapy for leukemia?
Standard ALL treatment usually takes between 2 to 3 years altogether. The maintenance phase takes up most of this time as it lasts 2 years. During the maintenance phase people are often back to work or college. If you have a stem cell or bone marrow transplant the treatment time is shorter but more intensive.
How successful is leukemia treatment?
The cure rates and survival outcomes for patients with ALL have improved over the past few decades. Today, nearly 90 percent of adults diagnosed with ALL achieve a complete remission, which means that leukemia cells can no longer be seen in the bone marrow with a microscope.
How many rounds of chemo is childhood leukemia?
Usually, there are three to four cycles of re-induction and consolidation or intensification chemotherapy. During these cycles, chemotherapy drugs are given for several days at a time, requiring that your child stay in the hospital during this treatment.
What is the life expectancy of a child with leukemia?
Children. According to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), the average 5-year survival rate for ALL, the most common type of leukemia in children, is 94.4 percent for those under age 5. There's a slight drop to 92.5 percent for older children under age 15.
Can leukemia be cured if caught early?
Leukemia is the cancer of the blood-forming tissues that includes bone marrow and lymphatic system. Adults and children are equally affected by Leukemia, which is seen as production of abnormal white blood cells by the bone marrow.
How long do you stay in the hospital for leukemia?
Patients will often need to stay in the hospital for 3 to 4 weeks during treatment. However, depending on the situation, many patients can leave the hospital.
How many chemo treatments are required for leukemia?
The treatment usually consists of four cycles of intensive chemotherapy that includes high doses of cytarabine and one or more other drugs.
Which type of leukemia is most curable?
While it is similar in many ways to the other subtypes, APL is distinctive and has a specific treatment regime. Treatment outcomes for APL are very good, and it is considered the most curable type of leukemia, with cure rates as high as 90%.
Induction
- The goal of induction chemotherapy is to achieve a remission. This means that leukemia cells are no longer found in bone marrow samples, the normal marrow cells return, and the blood counts become normal. (A remission is not necessarily a cure.) More than 95% of children with ALL enter remission after 1 month of induction treatment. This first month is intense and requires prolong…
Consolidation
- The next, and usually more intense, consolidation phase of chemo starts once the leukemia is in remission and typically lasts for several months. This phase further reduces the number of leukemia cells still in the body. Several chemo drugs are combined to help prevent the remaining leukemia cells from developing resistance. Intrathecal chemo (as described above) is continue…
Maintenance
- If the leukemia remains in remission after induction and consolidation, maintenance therapy can begin. Most treatment plans use daily 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) and weekly methotrexate, given as pills, often along with vincristine, which is given into a vein (IV), and a steroid (prednisone or dexamethasone). These latter 2 drugs are given for brief pe...
Treatment of Residual Disease
- The treatment plans may change if the leukemia doesn’t go into remission during induction or consolidation. The doctor will probably check the child’s bone marrow soon after treatment starts to see if the leukemia is going away. If not, treatment might need to be more intense or prolonged. If standard lab tests show the leukemia seems to have gone away, the doctor may use more sen…
Treatment of Recurrent All
- If the ALL recurs (comes back) during or after treatment, the child will most likely be treated again with chemotherapy. Much of the treatment strategy depends on how soon the leukemia returns after the first treatment. If the relapse occurs after a long time, the same drugs might still be effective, so the same or similar treatment may be used to try to get the leukemia into a second …
Philadelphia Chromosome-Type All
- For children with certain types of ALL, such as those with the Philadelphia chromosome, standard chemotherapy for ALL (as outlined above) might not be as effective. A stem cell transplantmay be advised if induction treatment puts the leukemia in remission and a suitable stem cell donor is available. Newer, targeted drugssuch as imatinib (Gleevec) and dasatinib (Sprycel) are designe…
Diagnosis
Treatment
- Treatment for your leukemia depends on many factors. Your doctor determines your leukemia treatment options based on your age and overall health, the type of leukemia you have, and whether it has spread to other parts of your body, including the central nervous system. Common treatments used to fight leukemia include: 1. Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy ...
Clinical Trials
- Explore Mayo Clinic studiestesting new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this condition.
Coping and Support
- A diagnosis of leukemia may be devastating — especially for the family of a newly diagnosed child. With time you'll find ways to cope with the distress and uncertainty of cancer. Until then, you may find it helps to: 1. Learn enough about leukemia to make decisions about your care. Ask your doctor about your leukemia, including your treatment options and, if you like, your prognosis. As …
Preparing For Your Appointment
- Start by seeing your family doctor if you have signs or symptoms that worry you. If your doctor suspects you have leukemia, you may be referred to a doctor who specializes in diseases of the blood and bone marrow (hematologist). Because appointments can be brief, and because there's often a lot of information to discuss, it's a good idea to be prepared. Here's some information to …