Can leukemia be cured with chemotherapy?

Leukemia chemotherapy may be curative for low-risk types when patients are physically tolerant, but it is difficult to cure high-risk types or cases where patients cannot tolerate the treatment. Detailed analysis is as follows:

If the leukemia is low-risk, such as certain acute promyelocytic leukemias or childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemias, chemotherapy can achieve favorable outcomes. These leukemia cells are highly sensitive to chemotherapeutic agents. Through multiple stages of chemotherapy, including induction of remission and consolidation/intensification, cancer cells can be effectively eliminated, and some patients may achieve clinical cure. Additionally, if patients are of appropriate age and in good physical condition, they can better tolerate chemotherapy-related side effects, thereby allowing more time for treatment and increasing the chance of cure.

For patients with high-risk leukemia, such as acute myeloid leukemia accompanied by complex chromosomal abnormalities or gene mutations, the cancer cells tend to develop drug resistance, making it difficult for chemotherapy to completely eradicate the disease. Moreover, elderly patients or those with significant underlying medical conditions are often too frail to tolerate intensive chemotherapy, and are prone to develop severe complications such as infections or organ dysfunction, which may lead to treatment discontinuation and failure to achieve a cure.

Prior to leukemia chemotherapy, comprehensive evaluation of the patient's condition, physical status, and prognosis is necessary. During treatment, it is essential to strictly follow medical instructions and regularly monitor various indicators. If severe adverse reactions occur or treatment response is inadequate, timely communication with the physician is needed to adjust the treatment plan and avoid delays in care.