 | | | | | Leukemia: Acute Leukemia More info on this condition | |
| | | Post-Remission Therapy | | | | | A current approach in AML patients is to give very high doses of cytarabine intravenously soon after remission.
AML patients may qualify for allogeneic stem cell transplantation, based on the same criteria as for acute lymphocytic leukemia patients. However, if acute myelogenous leukemia patients do not have a compatible stem cell donor, the patient's own marrow can be used to stimulate blood cell production.
This procedure involves giving the patient very intensive chemotherapy to induce remission. The marrow is then harvested from the patient shortly after remission and frozen until it is thawed for re-infusion into the patient.
At least half of all patients with AML are over 65 years of age at the time of diagnosis. Advanced age may mean these patients have other medical problems including heart disease, lung disease and diabetes mellitus. When deciding on appropriate treatment for these patients, doctors should consider carefully the types of drugs used to treat AML and the frequency and intensity of treatment.
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