Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is a treatment option for which acute leukemia?

• A. Acute Myeloid Leukemia
• B. Only Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
• C. Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
• D. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Answer: (A)

Replacing diseased bone marrow with healthy hematopoietic cells is a way to both reconstitute the blood system and bring in donor immune cells that can help eliminate remaining leukemia cells. In acute myeloid leukemia, this approach is often used when the disease is high-risk, relapsed, or not fully cured by induction chemotherapy. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation offers a potential cure because the donor immune system can mount a graft-versus-leukemia effect, attacking residual leukemic cells after the marrow has been replaced. Autologous transplantation is used in some chemosensitive AML cases, but it lacks the strong graft-versus-leukemia effect and is generally less curative.

Chronic leukemias (like chronic myeloid leukemia and chronic lymphocytic leukemia) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma are not the acute leukemia in question, though transplantation can be used in other disease settings.