- The continuation phase begins after the completion of the intensification phase and the goal is to eradicate all leukemia from the body. It consists of cycles of chemotherapy repeated every 3 weeks and is continued until the patient has been in remission for 2 years. The drugs administered during this phase are vincristine, prednisone or dexamethasone, 6-mercaptopurine, methotrexate and cytarabine.