Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Treatment Options | Seattle Cancer Care Alliance

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06/15/23

Dr. Ryan Cassaday describes the treatment options for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). There are three different approaches to treating ALL. The induction phase rids the body of the leukemia with chemotherapies. Next is consolidation and intensification to add to induction-phase treatments uses a different combination of drugs from the induction phase to get rid of any residual cancer cells. For many patients, chemotherapy alone is not curative, so they are referred for stem cell / bone marrow transplantation. Additionally, patients can be on maintenance chemotherapy where they are much less potent drugs for a couple years after the initial phase of treatment. Radiation can also sometimes be used if a patient develops a tumor or is present on the skin or brain. Targeted drug therapy is looking promising for treatment. Dr. Cassaday is a hematology oncologist at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and assistant professor at UW School of Medicine and specializes in treating ALL and lymphomas.