Heather Bedard, C.H.E.
Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is a fast-progressing cancer of the blood and also affects the bone marrow. There are many different treatments, but typically they consist of chemotherapy, targeted drug treatments, and radiation – with chemotherapy being the preferred starting point.
The total survival rate for adults and children diagnosed with ALL is 68.1%, but these percentages change drastically depending on the age being looked at. For adults ages 18 and up, the success rate with chemotherapy is 30-40%.[1] This number is referencing the Leukemia Free Survival rate at 5 years. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), chemotherapy (drug therapy) is presented in three differing rounds and of descending intensity lasting from approximately one month to two years.[2]
There are quite a few differing combinations of drugs that can be used for chemotherapy and those combinations can change over the course of treatment. Side effects can include low white blood cell counts, low platelets, and low red blood cell counts. All of which are needed for immune function!
One of the most startling complications resulting from chemotherapy is an increase in secondary cancers such as Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). A study titled, “Association of Chemotherapy for Solid Tumors with Development of Therapy Related Myelodysplastic or Acute Myeloid Leukemia in the Modern Era”, estimates that 73% of all new AML cases will be due to chemotherapy and that 78% of those patients will die within 7 months.[3] However, on the other hand, a study in 2018 found that 25% of the study participants did not have chemotherapy and only 2.6% of the participants survived 5 years post-diagnosis compared to a 25.8% survival in those who did.[4]
Based on the side effects and treatment schedule of a chemotherapy treatment, I wouldn't recommend this as a viable option and on the same count I wouldn’t just do nothing. I would recommend alternative treatments that could support the body's immune system and improve quality of life.
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[1] P. Stryckmans, L. Debusscher, Chemotherapy of adult acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, Baillière's Clinical Haematology, Volume 4, Issue 1, 1991, Pages 115-130, ISSN 0950-3536, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0950-3536(05)80287-2.)
[2] https://www.cancer.org/cancer/acute-lymphocytic-leukemia/treating/chemotherapy.html
[3] Morton LM, Dores GM, Schonfeld SJ, et al. Association of Chemotherapy for Solid Tumors With Development of Therapy-Related Myelodysplastic Syndrome or Acute Myeloid Leukemia in the Modern Era. JAMA Oncol. 2019;5(3):318–325. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2018.5625
[4] Vijaya Raj Bhatt, Valerie Shostrom, Krishna Gundabolu, James O. Armitage; Utilization of initial chemotherapy for newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia in the United States. Blood Adv 2018; 2 (11): 1277–1282. doi: https://doi.org/10.1182/bloodadvances.2018019125