As with all cancers, treatment for leukemia is usually coordinated by a cancer care team, headed by a primary care physician and/or medical oncologist. For leukemia, specialists on the team may include a hematologist, surgeon and radiation oncologist. For children, the team will include pediatric cancer specialists.

There are a variety of methods used to treat leukemia. Without prompt and successful treatment, the disease is often fatal. The exact treatment method chosen for each patient depends on the type of leukemia and the extent of the disease.

Common treatment methods include:

• Chemotherapy. This treatment method uses powerful drugs or combinations of drugs to destroy cancer cells. Chemotherapy is the most common treatment method for leukemia. The type of chemotherapy drugs used to treat the leukemia varies based on the exact form of the disease. For treatment, the patient may receive a single drug or a combination of two or more drugs.
  
  
• Targeted therapies. These drugs target cancer cells and block specific molecules in the cells that contribute to tumor growth. Because of this ability to target cancer cells, these therapies can be less toxic to normal tissue than chemotherapy. Some of the major advances in targeted therapies have been directed to leukemia research. The drug imatinib has become a breakthrough treatment for chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and is also being used for certain subtypes of acute lymphocytic leukemia. Several other targeted therapies have been approved recently for CML patients who do not respond to imatinib.
  
  
• Radiation therapy. Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumors. Most patients receive radiation directed at the spleen, the brain or other areas of the body where leukemia cells have accumulated. Other patients may receive radiation that is directed at the entire body (total-body irradiation).
  
  
• Biological therapy. Patients with some forms of leukemia receive biological therapy. Also known as immunotherapy, this method improves the body’s natural ability to defend itself against cancer. It uses substances naturally produced by the immune system to kill leukemia cells, slow the growth of cancer cells or activate the patient’s immune system to fight the disease. In some cases, biological therapy may be used to directly attack the cancer cells. Substances that may be used include monoclonal antibodies and interferon.
  
  
• Bone marrow/stem cell transplantation. This method allows a patient to receive high levels of chemotherapy, radiation or a combination of both. Although the high-dose treatment destroys the leukemia cells, it also destroys normal blood cells in the bone marrow. After the treatment, the patient receives an infusion of healthy stem cells through a vein. As a result, new blood cells begin to develop from the transplanted cells.

In addition to these methods, some patients may have their spleen removed if it is enlarged. Patients may receive one method of treatment or a combination of treatments. Patients with an acute form of leukemia will usually be treated immediately and aggressively. Once signs and symptoms vanish, additional therapy may be given to prevent a relapse. This is known as maintenance therapy.

Patients with a form of chronic leukemia may not require immediate treatment. A method known as watchful waiting may be recommended. In this process, the patient’s healthcare team monitors the patient’s health. Once symptoms appear or worsen, treatment is initiated to control the disease and the symptoms. Maintenance therapy may also be ordered to keep the cancer in remission.  

After treatment, patients may require regular visits to their physicians. Frequent examinations enable their physicians to detect any changes in health and treat them immediately. Checkups may include a physical examination, blood tests, x-rays, bone marrow aspiration or lumbar puncture (spinal tap).

Survival rates vary by type of leukemia. According to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the 5-year survival rates for leukemia include:  

Due to advances in diagnosis and treatment, survival rates for ALL have improved since the 1970s.  For adults, the rate has improved from 38 percent to 65 percent in 1995-2001. For children with ALL, the survival rate has increased from 53 percent to 86 percent.

Currently, there is no known method of preventing most cases of leukemia because most forms are not linked to preventable lifestyle risk factors. The only exception is smoking, which is related to 20 percent of all cases of adult acute myelogenous leukemia.