Treatment of Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML)

Treatment of acute myelogenous leukemia depends on many factors, as well as the subtype of the disease, your age, your overall health and your preferences. In general, treatment falls into 2 phases:

• Remission induction therapy. the aim of the primary section of treatment is to kill the leukemia cells in your blood and bone marrow. However, remission induction sometimes does not wipe out all of the leukemia cells, thus you would like more treatment to forestall the disease from returning.
• Consolidation therapy. conjointly referred to as post-remission therapy, maintenance therapy or intensification, this section of treatment is aimed toward destroying the remaining leukemia cells. It's thought-about crucial to decreasing the danger of relapse.

Therapies used in these phases include:

• Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is that the major style of remission induction therapy, though it may also be used for consolidation therapy. Chemotherapy uses chemicals to kill cancer cells in your body. individuals with AML usually keep within the hospital throughout chemotherapy treatments as a result of the medicine destroy several traditional blood cells within the method of killing leukemia cells. If the primary cycle of chemotherapy does not cause remission, it may be repeated.
• Other drug therapy. Arsenic trioxide (Trisenox) and all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) are anti-cancer medicine that may be used alone or together with chemotherapy for remission induction of a definite subtype of AML referred to as promyelocytic leukemia. These medicine cause leukemia cells with a selected gene mutation to mature and die, or to prevent dividing.
• Stem cell transplant. Stem cell transplant, conjointly referred to as bone marrow transplant, is also used for consolidation therapy. Stem cell transplant helps re-establish healthy stem cells by replacing unhealthy bone marrow with leukemia-free stem cells that may regenerate healthy bone marrow. before a stem cell transplant, you receive terribly high doses of chemotherapy or radiation therapy to destroy your leukemia-producing bone marrow. Then you receive infusions of stem cells from a compatible donor (allogeneic transplant). you'll be able to conjointly receive your own stem cells (autologous transplant) if you were previously in remission and had your healthy stem cells removed and stored for a future transplant.
• Clinical trials. Some individuals with leukemia value more highly to enroll in clinical trials to do experimental treatments or new combos of known therapies.