Acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is treated in a similar way to that of the myeloid type. It consists of induction, consolidation and maintenance chemotherapy, which may or may not follow. The main difference between the two types is the agent used and the method of administration. Cyclophosphamide, vincristine, adriamycin and prednisone combination is the usual regimen, also called CVAP. The other difference is CNS prophylaxis which is administering treatment to your brain and spinal cord because of their possible or established invasion with leukemic cells. Worth noting here, however, is that the presence of a Philadelphia chromosome in acute lymphoblastic leukemia in the past was a bad prognostic sign, which meant that people with that genetic abnormality were more likely to not respond to treatment and die, but with the advent of tyrosine kinase inhibitor drugs, the prognosis was changed for those patients, improving their outcome and life expectancy.