The goals of induction therapy are to put your AML in remission and keep you healthy enough to move on to post-remission therapy. For most people, this means going into the hospital to get intense chemotherapy.
If you have APL, you will get different medicines. They are all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), also called tretinoin, with either chemotherapy or arsenic trioxide (ATO).
Almost all Fred Hutch patients have induction therapy at the inpatient hospital at UW Medical Center - Montlake. (A small number of patients do not have to be in the hospital.) Physicians and nurses there specialize in taking care of people with AML. They are part of Fred Hutch and UW Medicine.
They will give you your induction medicines through a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) or a Hickman line.
In the past, people with AML needed to stay in the hospital for four to five weeks for induction. Our physicians and researchers have designed a special care pathway to give you high-quality care that lets you return home much sooner.
A typical hospital stay for Fred Hutch AML patients is about a week. Sometimes, it is longer. Some people need more than one course of induction therapy to get to remission.
During your stay, your team will watch your health closely. They will provide any care you need for side effects or other medical problems. They will also check your blood and bone marrow to see how your AML responds to treatment.
We know you would rather be at home. We will release you from the hospital as soon as we believe it is safe for you. The South Lake Union Clinic, our outpatient clinic, is set up to provide most of the care you might need in the days and weeks right after induction. For example, the clinic offers infusion services 365 days a year. A special clinic team will closely manage your AML care to reduce the chances that you will need to return to the hospital.
Bone marrow
The soft, spongy material in the center of your bones that produces all your blood cells, such as white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets.
Central venous catheter
A small, flexible tube inserted into a large vein near the heart. This serves as a route for medications and intravenous nutrition and to take blood samples.
A small, flexible tube inserted into a large vein near the heart. This serves as a route for medications and intravenous nutrition and to take blood samples. These catheters are also known as a Hickman line, central line, tunneled catheter or Port-a-Cath®.
Chemotherapy
Treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. It may be given alone or with other treatments.
Treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Chemotherapy may be given by mouth, injection, infusion or on the skin, depending on the type and stage of the cancer being treated. It may be given alone or with other treatments, such as surgery, radiation therapy or biologic therapy.
Infusion
An injection of medications or fluids into a vein over a period of time.
Peripheral venous catheter
A device used to draw blood and give treatments. A thin, flexible tube is inserted into a vein, usually in the hand, arm or foot. A needle is then inserted into a port to draw blood or give fluids.
A device used to draw blood and give treatments, including intravenous fluids, drugs or blood transfusions. A thin, flexible tube is inserted into a vein, usually in the back of the hand, the lower part of the arm or the foot. A needle is then inserted into a port to draw blood or give fluids.
Remission
A decrease in, or disappearance of, signs and symptoms of cancer.
A decrease in, or disappearance of, signs and symptoms of cancer. In partial remission, some (but not all) signs and symptoms of cancer have disappeared. In complete remission, all signs and symptoms of cancer have disappeared, although cancer still may be in the body.
Side effects
A problem that occurs when treatment affects healthy tissues or organs. Some side effects of cancer treatment are nausea, vomiting, fatigue, pain, decreased blood cell counts, hair loss and mouth sores.