Three Phases of Treatment for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Children
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children can be treated in 3 main phases:
– Induction: In this phase, the main goal is to achieve remission, meaning there is no more cancer cells in the bone marrow or blood. Children would have to be in hospitalization for 1 month for a careful supervision.
– Consolidation: This is typically the most intense phase. It may last a few months to get rid of any leftover cancer cells and keep them from resisting the drugs. A stem cell transplant may be implemented during this phase.
– Maintenance: The objective of this stage is to keep cancer cells from relapsing. Doctors may prescribe drugs in lower doses. [7]
