There is no staging for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The treatment depends on age, the results of laboratory tests, and whether or not the patient has been previously treated for leukemia. There are too many white blood cells in the blood and bone marrow, and there may be other signs and symptoms of leukemia. In remission Remission means that treatment has been given and the number of white blood cells and other blood cells in the blood and bone marrow is normal. There are no signs or symptoms of leukemia.
Refractory disease means that the leukemia failed to go into remission following treatment.
The primary treatment for 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 drugs may be taken by mouth, or may be put into the body by a needle in a vein or muscle.