Treatment for Acute Myeloid Leukemia in Children
Treatment for AML aims to eradicate the leukemia cells and enable the bone marrow to function normally again. Treatment of newly diagnosed childhood AML during the induction stage includes having to undergo;
- Combination chemotherapy
- Central nervous system prophylaxis therapy with intrathecal chemotherapy
- A clinical trial of targeted therapy
- Supportive care
- Targeted therapy with monoclonal antibody
- A clinical trial of chemotherapy and targeted therapy
Treatment of childhood AML during the remission stage depends on the sub-class of AML such as combination chemotherapy, usage of stem cells obtained from a donor, and targeted therapy.
Treatment of refractory childhood AML may include chemotherapy [6], targeted therapy with a monoclonal antibody, and radiation therapy (this is used to fight myeloid sarcoma that does not specifically respond well to chemotherapy).
Treatment of recurrent childhood AML also includes combination chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, and bone marrow transplant.