There are no signs or symptoms of leukemia. Refractory disease means that the leukemia has failed to go into remission following treatment. The primary treatment of ALL is chemotherapy. Radiation therapy may be used in certain cases. Bone marrow transplantation is being studied in clinical trials.
Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells.
Chemotherapy may be taken by pill, or it may be put into the body by a needle in a vein or muscle. Chemotherapy is called a systemic treatment because the drug enters the bloodstream, travels through the body, and can kill cancer cells throughout the body. The first stage is called induction therapy. The purpose of induction therapy is to kill as many of the leukemia cells as possible and make patients go into remission. A patient may receive chemotherapy for up to several years to stay in remission.