How is acute myeloid leukemia (AML) managed or treated in adults?

How is acute myeloid leukemia (AML) managed or treated in adults?

Treatment options for AML include:

• Chemotherapy: Medication circulates throughout the bloodstream to slow or stop the growth of cancer cells. It’s the top treatment for AML. Some patients may need to be in the hospital for treatment, while others may have a chemotherapy treatment with infusion and oral medications to treat it at home. Some adults need maintenance chemotherapy for life.
• Targeted therapies: These drugs target certain parts of cancer cells to stop their growth. The specific treatment is based on the cancer’s mutations. Some types of AML respond well to this treatment.
• Monoclonal antibody therapies: Lab-made proteins attach to cancer cells to stop their growth. This drug can be used at the outset for some types of AML and it can also be used to treat AML that doesn’t respond to chemotherapy (called refractory cancer). It can also be used to treat cancer that comes back (relapse).
• Stem cell transplant: A stem cell or bone marrow transplant provides a new immune system that will recognize the cancer as bad and kill it. To proceed with a stem cell transplant, you must be in complete remission. You will need chemotherapy or radiation therapy first to make room in bones for the transplanted cells.