To eliminate any remaining cancer, patients continue to receive higher doses of chemo during which phase?

• A. Induction
• B. Consolidation
• C. Salvage
• D. Maintenance

Answer: (B)

The stage that aims to wipe out any remaining cancer after remission is achieved is consolidation therapy. After induction brings the disease into remission, consolidation uses intensified chemotherapy regimens—often higher doses or different drugs—to eradicate residual cancer cells and deepen the response, reducing the chance of relapse.

In pediatric cancers like ALL, the sequence usually goes: induction to induce remission, consolidation to eliminate residual disease, maintenance to keep the remission going with lower-dose therapy, and salvage if relapse occurs. Induction is about getting to remission, not about continuing higher-dose treatment after remission. Salvage is used after relapse or refractory disease, and maintenance favors long-term, lower-intensity therapy rather than high-dose regimens.