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Treatment Approach
Source: Childhood Acute Myeloid Leukemia Treatment (PDQ®)–Health Professional Version, National Cancer Institute.
Source updated: April 15, 2025 · Captured 2026-09-09.
Selected source text with whitespace normalised. This Triangle page is not an NCI PDQ summary.
Context: Treatment Option Overview for Childhood AML
The mainstay of the therapeutic approach is systemically administered combination chemotherapy. Approaches involving risk-group stratification and biologically targeted therapies are being tested to improve antileukemic treatment while sparing normal tissue. Optimal treatment of AML requires control of bone marrow and systemic disease.
Treatment of the CNS, usually with intrathecal medication, is a component of most pediatric AML protocols but has not yet been shown to contribute directly to an improvement in survival. CNS irradiation is not necessary in patients, either as prophylaxis or for those presenting with cerebrospinal fluid leukemia that clears with intrathecal and systemic chemotherapy.
Treatment is ordinarily divided into the following two phases:
Induction (to induce remission).
Postremission consolidation/intensification (to reduce the risk of relapse).
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Preserved source evidence · Not medical advice