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What is the difference between intensive chemotherapy and targeted therapies, and how do doctors decide which treatment is right?
Charles Craddock
March 16, 2026
For AML World Awareness Day 2026, Know AML was pleased to speak with Charles Craddock, an acute myeloid leukemia (AML) physician and Know AML Ambassador based in the United Kingdom. We asked, What is the difference between intensive chemotherapy and targeted therapies, and how do doctors decide which treatment is right?
Charles explains that intensive chemotherapy has long been a main treatment for patients with AML who are well enough to cope with a stronger therapy. It works by killing cells that grow quickly, including leukemia cells. It can also affect healthy cells, which can lead to side effects such as infections, bleeding, hair loss, diarrhea, vomiting, and mouth sores. Because of these risks, patients usually need to stay in hospital during treatment.
Charles discusses a newer type of treatment called targeted therapies, which are designed to focus on certain changes, called mutations, that help leukemia cells survive and grow. Targeted therapies can be given on their own or together with other medicines. In some cases, they can be gentler than intensive chemotherapy. However, they can still lower blood counts and lead to side effects. He explains that younger patients who are well enough to cope with stronger therapy are more likely to receive intensive chemotherapy, sometimes together with a targeted drug, and older patients are often treated with targeted therapies alone.
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