• Patients with AML have a 60 to 70 percent probability of having a remission . Twenty percent of those who
do attain a remission can expect to survive three years or more with a possibility of being cured, with
chemotherapy alone.
• Patients with ALL have an 80 to 90 percent probability of achieving a remission, with 35 to 45 percent
surviving five or more years, again with a possibility of being cured, with chemotherapy alone.
Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia (AML)
Standard Treatment Standard treatment includes two drugs, Idamycin (idarubicin) and Cytosar (cytosine arabinoside). These are commonly given intravenously, Idamycin for three days and Cytosar for five to seven days.
These drugs may cause significant nausea and vomiting, so patients are also given drugs such as Benadryl, Compazine, Vistaril, Reglan, Ativan and Zofran.
The chemotherapy drugs will kill normal and leukemic cells equally, so the most significant side effect besides nausea and vomiting is a temporary reduction of normal white blood cells and platelets. The deficiency of white cells means a loss of normal defenses against bacterial and fungal organisms, leaving the patient open for infections. Low platelets mean that the patient may bruise or bleed easily. All patients should be closely watched in the hospital until this effect is over.
