Acute lymphocytic leukemia is also known as acute lymphoblastic leukemia. When the word "acute" is associated with lymphocytic leukemia, the condition is often fatal when not treated. "Lymphocytic" implies that the cancer is derived from your cells. Acute lymphocytic leukemia results in cancer development within your bone marrow, where your cells are created. Leukemia forms from your white blood cells, which are known as lymphocytes. Treating the disease can vary depending on how far your cancer has advanced.
What is ALL
When you have acute lymphoblastic leukemia, your continually forms immature cells known as blasts. If the blasts could continue to develop, they would eventually from lymphocytes, or your white blood cells. Because the blasts are unable to grow, they begin to accumulate and build up within your marrow. As a result, these blasts grow out of control, making your body incapable of fighting infections and allowing the cancer to grow. According to the American Cancer Society, without treatment, the disease can result in death within only a few months after diagnosis.
Induction Therapy
Induction therapy is the initial phase of treatment for acute lymphocytic leukemia. According to the Mayo Clinic, the purpose of induction therapy is to destroy any leukemia cells that are responsible for causing your cancer. Induction therapy primarily includes chemotherapy. Chemotherapy not only kills your cancer cells but can also result in life-threatening conditions. Receiving chemotherapy for acute lymphocytic leukemia means you will have to stay in a hospital for an extended period of time. As a result of the treatment course, it is possible for your body to develop anemia, infections, bleeding and many other side effects.
Consolidation Therapy
Acute lymphocytic leukemia is a form of cancer that can spread rapidly through other locations within your body, such as your brain and spinal cord. Consolidation therapy uses massive doses of chemotherapy to ensure that the cancer cannot spread. You may also receive targeted drug therapy in conjunction with chemotherapy. Targeted drug therapy is intended to attack any abnormalities within cancer cells that help the cells multiply and grow. Targeted drug therapies are more commonly used in individuals who are predisposed to acute lymphocytic leukemia because of chromosomal abnormalities.
Maintenance Therapy
Maintenance therapy tries to keep cancer cells from regrowing in your marrow. It includes a chemotherapy regimen of medications such as methotrexate and 6-mercaptopurine. According to the American Cancer Society, maintenance therapy can last for up to two years. Other drug treatments may be included with your maintenance therapy, depending on the severity of your cancer.
Preventive Measures
When you have acute lymphocytic leukemia, your physician can inject chemotherapy medications directly into your spinal cord during your treatment regimen. Injecting chemotherapy medications into your spinal cord can kill off that may not be reached with regular treatments. Chemotherapy given orally or intravenously may not always reach your spinal cord, which may result in lingering cancer cells and a relapse in leukemia.
Other Treatments
Other therapies include radiation therapy and bone marrow stem cell transplantation. Radiation therapy requires the use of high doses of radiation to kill your cancer cells. Radiation therapy is more commonly used if your leukemia has spread to your central nervous system. A bone marrow stem cell transplant may be necessary if you're at a higher risk of relapsing from your leukemia. You will initially undergo chemotherapy or radiation therapy to kill your cancer cells. After you recover from your initial treatments, healthy donor stem cells are transplanted into your marrow, to allow for healthy cells to grow.
Tags: cancer cells, lymphocytic leukemia, your cancer, acute , bone marrow