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Relapsed and Refractory
Some patients have residual leukemia cells in their bone marrow even after they receive intensive treatment. In these cases, the disease is referred to as being “refractory” (or “refractory ALL”).
Other patients achieve remission but later have decreased numbers of normal blood cells and a return of leukemia cells in their bone marrow. This is referred to as a “relapse” of the disease (or “relapsed ALL”).
Brittany
Brittany, a 37-year-old mother, is currently fighting leukemia for the second time. Known for her generosity and support for others, Brittany enjoys traveling, spending time with family, and above all, loving her son. Unfortunately, on August 6, 2022, Brittany received an unexpected diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) when she was 35 weeks pregnant. This news shattered her perfect pregnancy plans and forced her into a battle against cancer.
Patrick
It was November 2023. The doctor looked at me and said, “Mr. Reese, I’m terribly sorry to have to tell you this, but the leukemia has relapsed again. Combined with the graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) that is currently raging, we no longer have options for treatment. Our suggestion is that you start comfort care through hospice.”
Facts and Statistics Overview
Leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), and myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are types of cancer that can affect the bone marrow, the blood cells, the lymph nodes, and other parts of the lymphatic system.
Click on the links below to view statistics about each disease:
Lisa
I noticed some lymph nodes popped up on my neck so I went to the Dr. I didn't feel bad at all. My Dr ordered blood work and my white blood count was high. I was sent to The Cancer Center of Acadiana and more blood work, scans, ultrasound and bone biopsy was done. After all the results came in my white blood count was 99,000 and I had 75% leukemia cells in my bone marrow. I was diagnosed with CLL. 4 days later I was in the Infusion room at The Cancer Center of Acadiana. After 5 months of chemo going 2 days every month I am leukemia free.
Cooper
I am Cooper, and I am a leukemia survivor. I am 26 and creating businesses around the creativity space. I am a healer and author of multiple books. I was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of seven. I did treatment for 2½ years with chemotherapy. I have been in remission for 16 years. I am grateful to be here. I have donated around $100,000 to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). I have done Pennies for Patients (PFP), Student Of The Year (SOY), and been an Honored Hero for multiple events. My high school raised $10,000 in one week for PFP.
James
In 2001, my wife and I had not been able to get pregnant after five years of marriage. We decided to look into adoption. As part of the application process, we were required to go for routine bloodwork. Soon after, I got a call at my desk at work that I needed to see an oncologist. I was informed I had chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML), a rare form of leukemia.
Chemotherapy
Because of acute lymphoblastic leukemia's (ALL's) rapid growth, most patients need to start chemotherapy soon after diagnosis.
Chemotherapy drugs kill fast-growing cells throughout the body including cancer cells and normal, healthy cells. The damage to normal, healthy cells can cause side effects. Yet, not everyone experiences side effects the same way.
ALL treatment consists of:
Stem Cell Transplantation
Allogeneic stem cell transplantation has been used to treat and sometimes cure chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) patients. However, because of the high, sometimes life-threatening risks associated with stem cell transplantation, doctors rarely use it in elderly patients or patients in poor health.
Nicole
I first became involved in Team In Training (TNT) and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) in March of 2020 because I was very interested in running the New York City Marathon. I knew that I wanted to run for a charity that meant something to me, so I knew I had to be a part of this team.
Imatinib mesylate
Generic name Imatinib mesylate Pronunciation i-MAT-i-nib MES-i-late Brand name(s), other common name(s) Gleevec® Drug type Tyrosine kinase inhibitor How the drug is given By mouth Indications and UsageImatinib mesylate is FDA approved to treat
Kayli
My daughter Kayli is a remarkable 22-year-old, six-time cancer survivor of leukemia who is currently undergoing treatment for a relapse of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) that has been recurrent in her central nervous system (CNS) since she was 8 years old. We are hopeful that the upcoming bone marrow transplant will provide a much-needed, life-saving cure for Kayli.
I am an RN and a single mother of five daughters and one son. My only son, Kayli's brother, Markai, is a full match and will be her bone marrow donor. He just graduated high school in May.
Katharine
My mother, Nancy, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with a FLT3 mutation in March 2022. Over the next year and a half, she went through multiple rounds and regimens of inpatient and outpatient chemotherapy. At every step along the way, every member of my mom's care team kept mentioning how the outlook for patients like my mom was so much better now than it had been even 10 years ago thanks to advances in medicine.
Riley
On October 17, 2023, my life took a turn I never saw coming. My doctor sat me down and told me, "You have leukemia." It felt like the ground had shifted beneath my feet. I was scared, couldn't believe it was happening, and had no idea what the future held.
Sandy
In the summer of 2006 I received a letter in the mail much like what you get around the holidays telling of the adventures over the past year. My friend had recently moved to Tucson with her family. She shared pictures of their kids and told about the transition from the Seattle area to Tucson.
Kent
When Noah was born in 2005, we were surprised when the doctor told us he had Down syndrome. Soon after, we were informed about all of the things that Noah wouldn’t or couldn’t do in his lifetime. We were also given a laundry list of medical problems that he could potentially have. Two months after he was born, Noah went into heart failure and had open heart surgery to correct four holes in his heart. This was a tough time but boy did we have more to come and didn’t know it. He has since had multiple surgeries, tests, studies, etc. We were told that Noa
Other Financial Assistance
LLS is part of the Cancer Financial Assistance Coalition (C-FAC), which helps cancer patients manage their financial challenges by:
- Helping members communicate and collaborate
- Educating patients and providers about resources and links to other organizations that provide information about C-FAC's resources
- Advocating for cancer patients regarding the financial burdens of cancer care
Diagnosis
An accurate diagnosis of the type of leukemia is important. The exact diagnosis helps the doctor estimate how the disease will progress and determine the appropriate treatment.
Diagnosing acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and the AML subtype usually involves a series of tests. Some of these tests may be repeated during and after therapy to measure the effects of treatment.
Side Effects
Cancer therapy for chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) can sometimes produce side effects. For most patients, treatment side effects are temporary and go away once therapy ends. For other patients, side effects can be more severe, sometimes requiring hospitalization. Some patients never have any side effects.
Before you undergo treatment, talk with your doctor about potential side effects. Drugs and other therapies can prevent or manage many side effects.
Debbie
My only child was my heart and soul! He was a son to be proud of in so many ways. Kind, gentle, and caring was only the tip of the iceberg to his character. He had lots of friends and was always ready to help when called. He had just finished his freshman year in college when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. It changed our world.
Austin
In May 2011, when Kimberly Schuetz was starting to plan her son Austin’s third birthday, he was diagnosed with a high-risk form of acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Austin was immediately placed on a chemotherapy regimen. However, when a routine blood test revealed that he relapsed in October 2012, their only option was a bone marrow transplant to save his life. After that transplant, his cancer came back for the third time in May 2013.
Shaden
Shaden is fighting against leukemia. He is three years old and was a healthy boy before his diagnosis. Then, out of nowhere, he would get a lot of body aches that were very unusual.
Sometimes Shaden didn’t feel like being the happy, energetic kid he always was. He wouldn’t walk, sleep or eat. We decided to take Shaden to the children’s hospital and they did some testing. They soon told us that he might have leukemia. They did more testing, and Shaden was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
Treatment
The main treatment for ALL is chemotherapy given in phases. Most treatment regimens take 2 to 3 years to complete.
Not every child with ALL receives the same treatment. Your child’s doctor will tailor your child’s treatment based on the ALL subtype and other factors, such as age, health and how the cancer responds to treatment.
Your child’s treatment may also include:
Treatment
It's important that your doctor is experienced in treating patients with acute leukemia or has access to an acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) specialist.
Types of ALL TreatmentDoctors use several types of approaches and treatment combinations for ALL:
Diagnosis
Diagnosing hairy cell leukemia usually involves a series of tests, including blood tests and bone marrow tests.