Adult AML Treatment by Phase: An Overview
The extent or spread of cancer is usually described in stages. However, in
adult acute myeloid leukemia (
AML), the subtype of AML and whether the
leukemia has spread outside the blood and bone marrow are used, instead of the stage, to plan treatment. Acute myeloid leukemia is also called acute myelogenous leukemia.
In order to plan treatment,
adult AML is described as:
- Untreated
- In remission
- Recurrent.
Untreated Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Standard treatment of untreated adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML) during the remission induction phase will depend on the subtype of AML and may include:
- Combination chemotherapy
- High-dose combination chemotherapy
- Stem cell transplantation using donor stem cells
- All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) plus chemotherapy
- Intrathecal chemotherapy.
Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia in Remission
Standard treatment of adult AML during the remission phase will depend on the subtype of AML and may include:
- Combination chemotherapy
- High-dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation using donor stem cells
- High-dose chemotherapy, with or without radiation therapy, and stem cell transplantation using the patient's stem cells.
