TREATMENT FOR LEUKEMIA PATIENT


Treatment options will depend on the type of leukemia a person has, their age, and their overall state of health. The primary treatment for leukemia is chemotherapy. A cancer care team will tailor this to suit the type of leukemia. If treatment starts early, the chance of a person achieving remission is higher. Types of treatment include:

  1. Watchful waiting:
    A doctor may not actively treat slower growing leukemias, such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).
  2. Chemotherapy:
    A doctor administers medications intravenously (IV), using either a drip or a needle. These target and kill cancer cells. However, they can also damage noncancerous cells and cause severe side effects, including hair loss, weight loss, and nausea.Chemotherapy is the primary treatment for AML. Sometimes, doctors may recommend a bone marrow transplant.
  3. Targeted therapy:
    This type of treatment uses tyrosine kinase inhibitors that target cancer cells without affecting other cells, reducing the risk of side effects. Examples include imatinib, dasatinib, and nilotinib.Many people with CML have a gene mutation that responds to imatinib. One study found that people who received treatment with imatinib had a 5-year survival rate of around 90%.

  4. Interferon therapy:
    This slows and eventually stops the development and spread of leukemia cells. This drug acts in a similar way to substances that the immune system naturally produces. However, it can cause severe side effects.
  5. Radiation therapy:
    In people with certain types of leukemia, such as ALL, doctors recommend radiation therapy to destroy bone marrow tissue before a transplant.
  6. Surgery:
    Surgery often involves removing the spleen, but this depends on the type of leukemia a person has.
  7. Stem cell transplantation:
    In this procedure, a cancer care team destroys the existing bone marrow with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or both. Then, they infuse new stem cells into the bone marrow to create noncancerous blood cells.

This procedure can be effective in treating CML. Younger people with leukemia are more likely to undergo a successful transplant than older adults.

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