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← Childhood Acute Myeloid Leukemia

FOR PATIENTS · SOURCE READING

Supportive care

Source: Childhood Acute Myeloid Leukemia/Other Myeloid Malignancies Treatment (PDQ®)–Patient Version, National Cancer Institute.

Source updated: June 5, 2024 · Captured 2026-09-09.

Selected source text with whitespace normalised. This Triangle page is not an NCI PDQ summary. Independent clinical review is pending.

Context: Treatment Option Overview / Seven types of standard treatment may be used for childhood AML and other myeloid malignancies.

Supportive care is given to lessen the problems caused by the disease or its treatment. All patients with leukemia receive supportive care treatments. Supportive care may include the following:

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Transfusion therapy: A way of giving red blood cells or platelets to replace blood cells destroyed by disease or cancer treatment. The blood may be donated from another person or it may have been taken from the patient earlier and stored until needed.

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Antifungal agents: Drugs, such as Caspofungin or fluconazole, used to prevent or treat infections caused by a fungus (a type of microorganism). This is important in the care of patients with AML.

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Drug therapy, such as antibiotics.

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Leukapheresis: A procedure in which a special machine is used to remove white blood cells from the blood. Blood is taken from the patient and put through a blood cell separator where the white blood cells are removed. The rest of the blood is then returned to the patient's bloodstream. Leukapheresis is used to treat patients with very high white blood cell counts.

Preserved source evidence · Independent clinical review pending · Not medical advice