Yes, many people survive leukemia, with overall 5-year survival rates in the U.S. around 67%, but outcomes vary significantly by type, age, and treatment, with some forms like CML having excellent survival rates (over 90% for younger people) and others like AML depending heavily on age, with younger adults faring much better than older adults, showing the impact of advances in treatment like targeted therapies and stem cell transplants.
In the United States, overall, 5-year survival among people diagnosed with leukemia is 67%. However, these statistics vary greatly according to the specific subtype of disease: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) 5-year survival rate is 88.5%. Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) 5-year survival rate is 72%.
The first girl to be treated, whose story we reported in 2022, is still free of the disease and now plans to become a cancer scientist. Now eight more children and two adults with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia have been treated, with almost two thirds (64%) of patients in remission.
Home care may be an alternative option to inpatient treatment for some people with leukemia. Its suitability will depend on the type of leukemia that the individual has and their general health. Leukemia is an umbrella term for blood cancers that usually originate in the bone marrow and cause abnormal blood cells.
There isn't a cure for leukemia, but this doesn't mean some people don't achieve long-term remission. Being cured of leukemia means that the cancer's gone, it's not coming back and no more treatment is needed — but this is hard to know for sure with leukemia.
How leukemia forms. In general, leukemia is thought to occur when some blood cells acquire changes (mutations) in their genetic material or DNA. A cell's DNA contains the instructions that tell a cell what to do. Normally, the DNA tells the cell to grow at a set rate and to die at a set time.
Treatment
Acute myeloid leukemia
AML affects about 22,000 adults each year. People are usually diagnosed after age 45. AML is most common in people after age 65. Children rarely get this type of leukemia.
Without treatment, acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is almost always fatal. Spontaneous remission of AML is a rare phenomenon and usually with a short duration.
So, is leukemia a hereditary disease? In most cases, the answer is no. Leukemia is largely caused by genetic mutations acquired during a person's lifetime. However, specific gene mutations can increase the likelihood of developing leukemia within families.
25 November 2025
The CAR T cell therapy – which reprogrammes a patient's immune cells to attack cancer – was today approved for routine use in the NHS by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
For chronic leukemia, such as CLL or CML, chemo is often used in combination with other treatments, such as targeted therapy, for enhanced efficacy. Overall, chemotherapy is a mainstay of leukemia treatment and a critical tool in managing the cancer and achieving remission.
Recommendations for Preventing Leukemia
Leukemia symptoms commonly include:
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most fatal type of leukemia. The five-year survival rate (how many people will be alive five years after diagnosis) for AML is 29.5%. Leukemia is a cancer that usually affects white blood cells, though it can start in other types of blood cells.
Also known as acute lymphoblastic leukemia, ALL progresses quickly and becomes fatal in just a few months if not treated. It begins in the bone marrow and affects white blood cells called lymphocytes—the main cells that comprise lymph nodes, a critical part of the immune system.
Most often, acute myeloid leukemia (AML) will go into remission after the initial treatment. But sometimes it doesn't go away completely (known as refractory disease), or it comes back (relapses) after a period of remission. If this happens, other treatments can be tried, as long as a person is healthy enough for them.
If cancer survivors choose to drink alcohol, consumption should be limited to no more than one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men (ACS, 2012; Runowicz, 2015).
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has five main stages:
Leukemia is caused by DNA mutations in blood cells, leading to uncontrolled growth, but the exact trigger for these mutations is often unknown, likely a mix of genetic and environmental factors like radiation, benzene exposure, certain viruses, and inherited conditions (e.g., Down Syndrome). These genetic changes tell cells to keep multiplying instead of dying, crowding out healthy cells in the bone marrow.
Clinical studies suggest that stress-related biobehavioral factors can accelerate progression of hematopoietic cancers such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), but it is unclear whether such effects are causal or what biological pathways mediate such effects.
Acute leukemias
In addition to undercooked meat, these foods include: Unpasteurized beverages, such as unpasteurized juice or raw milk. Soft mold-ripened and blue-veined cheeses, such as Brie, Camembert, Roquefort, Stilton, Gorgonzola and blue or other soft, unpasteurized cheeses. Raw sprouts, such as alfalfa sprouts.
While the majority of leukemia cases occur in the absence of any known predisposing factor, there are germline mutations that significantly increase the risk of developing hematopoietic malignancies in childhood.
Researchers also discovered that as leukemia cells drink up taurine, it promotes glycolysis (a breakdown of glucose to produce energy) to feed cancer growth. Prior to this, the authors said, it was not known that taurine might have a cancer-promoting role. Leukemia has several subtypes and survival rates vary.