Major Acute Myeloid Leukemia Treatments

Surgical Intervention

Surgical intervention in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia is limited to the placement of a central venous catheter and the removal of a myeloid sarcoma or isolated tumor of leukemia cells. Unlike other cancers that usually cause a malignant tumor to grow in a localized area, acute myeloid leukemia causes the growth and multiplication of cancerous cells in a patient's blood. Since these malignant cells are freely circulating throughout the body, they cannot be surgically removed the same way a cancerous tumor can.

In rare cases where a myeloid sarcoma develops, it can be removed with surgery. For patients who need to undergo chemotherapy for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia, a central venous catheter will need to be placed. The surgical procedure for this involves the placement of a small flexible tube into a large vein located in the chest that exits the body just under the skin of the patient's upper arm or chest. Once in place, this catheter can be used for several months to provide direct access to the patient's bloodstream for drug administration.