How to Treat AML

Known also as acute myelocytic leukemia, acute myelogenous leukemia, acute granulocytic leukemia and acute non-lymphocytic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a cancer that strikes the blood and bone marrow. With AML, an over-abundance of immature while blood cells that cannot fight infections are formed. According to the National Marrow Donor Program Web site, nearly 12,000 cases of AML are reported each year. The aim of treatment is to cause AML to go into remission or to cure the cancer.

Instructions

Treatment

• 1

  Your first form of treatment will involve induction chemotherapy. During this treatment you will stay in the hospital for nearly a month as you will undergo chemotherapy for a week, followed by three weeks of recovery. The drugs you will receive for treatment include cytarabine, or daunorubicin. If the first round of chemotherapy does not elicit a remission, treatment may be duplicated once or twice.

• 2

  Under consolidation chemotherapy, you will spend three to four weeks in the hospital undergoing treatment to eradicate remaining leukemia cells not found originally. Commonly, you will be given higher doses of cytarabine.

• 3

  When chemotherapy by itself does not offer long-term remission, you will need to undergo a bone marrow or cord blood transplant.

• 4

  Even if you are in remission, you will still be required to see your physician routinely for physicals and blood work. If you display signs of being rid of the disease, your doctor will schedule longer periods of time between follow-up appointments.