How long is treatment for childhood cancer?

For the most common type of childhood leukaemia — Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) — total treatment typically spans two to three years. The first phase, called induction, lasts roughly four to six weeks and aims to clear most leukaemia cells from the blood and bone marrow. This is followed by consolidation (several months) and then a maintenance phase that continues for approximately two years. The exact duration is decided by your child’s oncologist based on risk group, age, white cell count at diagnosis, and how quickly the leukaemia responds to initial treatment. Children with AML (Acute Myeloid Leukaemia) have a shorter but more intensive course, typically four to six months of chemotherapy with or without a bone marrow transplant. Every child’s timeline is written out in a personalised treatment plan, and your CION team will walk you through every phase before it begins.

Childhood cancer — especially leukaemia — is treated in phases because the goal is not just to kill visible cancer cells, but to seek out and destroy microscopic disease that blood tests cannot yet detect. Induction brings the cancer into remission quickly. Consolidation uses a different combination of medicines to target leukaemia cells hiding in sanctuaries the body protects, such as the central nervous system. Maintenance is a gentler, prolonged phase designed to prevent the leukaemia from growing back while the child recovers strength and returns to normal life. Cutting any phase short increases the risk of relapse, which is why the full treatment duration matters even when a child appears well.

No — most children with leukaemia spend concentrated time in hospital during the intensive induction and consolidation phases, but the maintenance phase is largely outpatient. During maintenance, children typically visit the clinic every few weeks for medicines and blood count checks, and they attend school, go home every night, and live as normally as possible. Hospital stays are longer and more frequent during induction, especially in the first month, because the child is at high risk of infection while blood counts are very low. For solid tumours, the pattern depends on whether surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy (or a combination) is needed, and the treatment team will outline this clearly from the start.

The duration of treatment for childhood brain tumours varies considerably by tumour type, location, and grade. Surgery is often the first step and can take place within days of diagnosis. Radiation therapy, where used, is typically delivered daily over four to six weeks. Chemotherapy schedules differ by protocol — some last several months, others run for a year or more alongside or after radiation. A child with a low-grade glioma may complete surgery and monitoring in a matter of months, whereas treatment for a high-grade brain tumour or medulloblastoma often continues for twelve months or longer. Your oncology team will give a specific estimate once the tumour type and stage are confirmed after pathology.

Feeling well and looking well is a wonderful sign, but it does not mean the treatment plan can be shortened. Childhood cancers — especially leukaemia — can be completely undetectable on blood tests while microscopic disease is still present in the bone marrow. The full treatment course exists specifically to eliminate this hidden disease before it can grow back. Stopping treatment early, even when the child feels healthy, carries a significant risk of relapse. If your child is tolerating treatment well, that is an excellent outcome; the oncologist will continue monitoring throughout to decide if any adjustment is needed. Any changes to the schedule are made by the tumour board after reviewing test results — not based on how the child feels alone.

After completing treatment, children enter a follow-up phase sometimes called “survivorship care” or “after-treatment monitoring”. Follow-up appointments are frequent at first — typically every one to three months in the first year — and then gradually become less frequent over the following years. The oncology team uses blood tests, scans, and physical examinations to watch for any signs of relapse and to check for the long-term effects that some treatments can have on a growing child’s heart, hormones, hearing, and development. At CION, the post-treatment plan is discussed with families before treatment ends, so the transition is never a shock.