Treatment Option Overview for ALL

Successful treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) consists of the control of bone marrow and systemic disease and the treatment (or prevention) of sanctuary-site disease, particularly the central nervous system (CNS).[1,2] The cornerstone of this strategy includes systemically administered combination chemotherapy with CNS preventive therapy. CNS prophylaxis is achieved with chemotherapy (intrathecal and/or high-dose systemic therapy) and, in some cases, cranial radiation therapy.

Treatment is divided into three phases:

The average length of treatment for ALL ranges from 1.5 to 3 years in the effort to eradicate the leukemic cell population. Younger adults with ALL may be eligible for selected clinical trials for childhood ALL. For more information, see the Adolescents and Young Adults With ALL section in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Treatment.

Entry into a clinical trial is highly desirable to ensure adequate patient treatment and maximal information retrieval from the treatment of this highly responsive, but usually fatal, disease.