The fluid is then looked at under a microscope to see if leukemia cells are present. A doctor can then tell what kind of leukemia is present and plan the best treatment. Your choice of treatment depends on whether a patient has been treated before. There are too many white blood cells in the blood and bone marrow, and there may be other signs and symptoms of leukemia. 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.