THis is my first post. My mother-in-law is 62 and just dxd with AML M5. She has finished her first week of chemo and is waiting to have a bone marrow test. She looks very good and the chemo didn't bother her to much. My question Is it possible for her to be cured after the first session of chemo? Will she need more? Is it a given that her hair will fall out. I know I am full of questions. Any help would be appreciated.

It is likely that your MIL will continue with more courses of chemo called "Consolidation" if she is in remission. It depends on the protocol that she is on as to how many rounds she will receive. With each subsequent round, it will take her bone marrow longer and longer to rebound.

Yes, she will more than likely loose her hair. Maybe not all at once, but with each round of chemo, more will come out. It takes about 3 weeks for it to start to fall from the initial dose of chemo, but once it starts, it goes. Try having one of those "sticky taped lint rollers" around. It helped get the hair off of pillows and clothes really well.

She will almost certainly require further chemotherapy or a bone marrow transplant for a long term remission. Unfortunately, although induction chemo brings about remission in the majority of patients, it rarely is curative as it just isn't enough to kill all the cancer cells. My oncologist quoted me an 80% chance of relapse when my mom asked six years ago.

Chances are your mother will lose her hair, but the side effects vary. My hair stopped growing and and I went patchy in several places, but I never did lose it all. I should note though that I didn't receive the recommended amount of chemotherapy, so that might have been a factor.

Thanks so much for your information. My inlaws are in denial and think OK she had chemo and she is done. I try to give them bits of info, a little at a time to get them to look a little further. I have read so much on AML. I am so full of questions and worry about her making it thru. She is a very small lady she is 62 years old. She weighs right at 100.
Please keep Kathy in your prayers. She has a BM on Friday to see how the chemo did.

Thanks agian for answering me. :angel: