How is acute leukemia treated?

Written by Li Fang Fang
Hematology
Updated on April 15, 2025
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The treatment for acute leukemia is chemotherapy. Chemotherapy can be administered orally or intravenously, and the choice between oral or intravenous chemotherapy depends on the type of acute leukemia. For patients with acute leukemia, if chemotherapy alone can effectively control the disease or achieve a cure, then there is no need for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. However, if chemotherapy alone cannot control the disease, and the patient is considered at high risk and of suitable age, then allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation should be considered.

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Written by Li Fang Fang
Hematology
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The difference between chronic granulocytic leukemia and leukemia.

Chronic granulocytic leukemia is a type of leukemia. Leukemia can be divided into acute leukemia and chronic leukemia. Acute leukemia is further divided into acute myeloid leukemia and acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Among these, acute myeloid leukemia can be divided into eight subtypes from M0 to M7, and acute lymphoblastic leukemia can be divided into three subtypes from L0 to L3. Chronic leukemia is further divided into chronic granulocytic leukemia and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Therefore, chronic granulocytic leukemia is a subtype of leukemia.

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Written by Li Fang Fang
Hematology
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Does leukemia cause fever?

Leukemia patients do experience fever, which can be categorized into two main types: infectious fever and tumor fever. Infectious fever occurs due to the compromised resistance and lowered immunity of leukemia patients, potentially leading to various types of infections such as pulmonary infections, skin and mucous membrane infections, digestive system infections, urinary system infections, etc. Tumor fever, on the other hand, occurs in the late stages of leukemia and is caused by the abnormal proliferation of leukemia cells, leading to tumor-related fever. Typically, the temperature in tumor fever does not exceed 38 degrees Celsius, with early-stage fevers responding well to treatment, but late-stage fevers showing poorer responsiveness.

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Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
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Is bleeding when brushing teeth leukemia?

Bleeding during brushing is not necessarily leukemia; it could also be due to gingivitis or periodontitis. Bleeding can occur around the teeth where there are irritants like soft plaque or dental plaque. These irritants chronically stimulate the gingival tissues, causing them to be in a congested state. A stimulus, such as brushing, can then lead to bleeding of the gums. This condition is a common early sign of gingivitis or periodontitis. After dental cleaning to remove these irritants, followed by rinsing and medicating the area around the gums, the condition of gingivitis can be improved. Therefore, if bleeding during brushing can be improved through dental cleaning and medication, it indicates that the bleeding is simply caused by gingivitis or periodontitis, and not leukemia.

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Written by Zhang Zhi Gong
Cardiothoracic Surgery
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Is sternal pain leukemia?

There are many causes of chest pain, and it is not necessarily only leukemia. For young people or children, sometimes injuries such as those from car accidents, sleeping on the stomach, or accidentally bumping into chair backs or table corners can cause sternal pain. However, persistent sternal pain in children should be carefully examined for the possibility of blood disorders. Of course, this can be ruled out through chest CT scans, or, if necessary, a small sternal biopsy under local anesthesia to check for leukemia. But for adults, there are many other possible causes of chest pain, such as gastrointestinal ulcers, stomach ulcers, and duodenal ulcers which can radiate to the surrounding area of the sternum causing pain. Additionally, some anatomical organs behind the sternum such as heart diseases, coronary artery disease, and angina can also cause sternal pain. Thymomas, thymus cancer, an enlarged thyroid, and lymphoma can all lead to sternal pain. Other malignant tumors, like lung cancer, if involving the sternum can also cause this pain. Therefore, not all cases of sternal pain are definitely due to leukemia.

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Written by Zhang Xiao Le
Hematology
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What is acute leukemia?

Acute leukemia is a malignant clonal disease originating from hematopoietic stem progenitor cells. Normally, hematopoietic stem progenitor cells differentiate into white blood cells, which gradually mature into normal white blood cells. However, leukemia cells are primitive cells and immature cells, which means that the hematopoietic stem cells lose the ability to differentiate and mature. Additionally, they proliferate massively in the bone marrow while suppressing normal hematopoietic functions, and can widely infiltrate various organs such as the liver, spleen, and lymph nodes. Due to the suppression of bone marrow hematopoiesis, patients may exhibit clinical manifestations such as anemia, bleeding, and infections. Patients with acute leukemia often seek medical attention because of fever, fatigue, or bleeding from the skin and mucous membranes.