Treatment

PLEASE PRAY FOR HER!!!! More detail will come later. Acute Leukemia ALL Leukemia

This is a very simplified overview in Mike's words and just so that you get the idea.

Induction Therapy - Chemo to kill the leukemia in the bone marrow and spinal fluid. (4-6 weeks)

Arm I: Patients receive

- intrathecal (IT) cytarabine on day 1

- vincristine IV and daunorubicin IV on days 1, 8, 15, and 22

- oral or IV dexamethasone twice daily on days 1-14

- IT methotrexate (MTX) on days 8 and 29

- pegaspargase intramuscularly (IM) once on day 4

Intrathecal Chemotherapy (IT)

During all three phases of chemotherapy treatment, many patients receive extra chemotherapy to destroy leukemia cells that may have spread to the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord). This chemotherapy is injected right into the spinal fluid using a lumbar puncture (spinal tap) or an Omaya reservoir (a device placed under the scalp). It is called intrathecal chemotherapy.

Consolidation Therapy - Picks up the stragglers starts about 7 days after Induction. (about 8 weeks)

Interim Maintenance - Stabilization sort of (about 9 weeks)

Intensification II Therapy - Small repeat of induction to make darn sure all the little buggers are dead. (50 Days)

Maintenance - Follow up and Stabilization. (84 Day cycle for2 years)

Whole process is 2.5-3.5 years!!!!

Blood Picture http://www.cancerpage.com/diagrams/cell/leuk_cell.html

Trial - Michelle will participate in a phase III Clinical Trial.

Michelle's random selection resulted in the DEXAMETHASOME arm of the study below.

Phase III Randomized Study of Dexamethasone Versus Prednisone During Induction and High-Dose Methotrexate With Leucovorin Rescue Versus Escalating-Dose Methotrexate Without Leucovorin Rescue During Interim Maintenance I in Patients With Newly Diagnosed High-Risk Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Michelle Lunn