LEUKEMIA AND IT'S TREATMENT
Leukemia and Its Treatment
Many people suffering with leukemia wants to take an active part in the decision making of their medical care. Leukemia is the cancer of the bone marrow. In the case of leukemia, abnormal white blood cells divide uncontrollably and crowd out the normal cells in the blood stream.
Since, the abnormal white blood cells are not fully matured; therefore, they cannot carry out their infection- fighting function in the blood. These cells affect the healthy white blood cells as well as the red blood cells, which carry oxygen to the body and to the platelets, which cause the blood to clot.
The treatment of this cancer can be very complex; it may vary on the type of leukemia and other concerned factors. However, there are treatments and drugs, which may make it easier for you to move on. Diagnosis tests for which your doctor will recommend are blood test, immunophenotype, cytogenetic analysis, and bone marrow sample.
Treatments for Leukemia:-
Leukemia is not a solid tumor, unlike the other tumors. It cannot be removed completely with the help of surgery. Generally, the treatment of leukemia depends on several factors such as age, overall health, the type of leukemia you are infected with and the extent of disease to other body parts. The treatment or the therapies used to fight against the leukemia include:-
Chemotherapy:- For leukemia, chemotherapy is the major form of treatment. In this treatment, chemical agents are used to kill the leukemia cells. Based on the type of leukemia you are infected, you may receive a single drug or the combination of one or two drugs. These drugs can be in a pill form or injected directly into a vein.
Biological Therapy:- It is also known as immunotherapy. Biological therapy uses the substances, which can strengthen your immune systems response to the cancer.
Radiation Therapy:- Radiation therapy uses X-ray or the higher energy rays to damage the leukemia cells and restrict or stop their growth. In this therapy, you can get radiation to only the specific area of your body where there is a collection of leukemia cells or directly to the whole body.
Other Drug Therapy:- There are some anti cancer drugs like arsenic trioxide and all-trans retinoic acid(ATRA) which your doctor may use with the combination of chemotherapy to treat certain types of AML i.e. promyelocytic leukemia. These drugs cause the leukemia cells with a specific gene mutation to mature and die.
Kinase Inhibitors:- Imatinib is a type of the cancer drug, which is called as a kinase inhibitor. For majority of people with CML, the drug imatinib mesylate is the first line of therapy for treatment. It has proved to be best and effective for treating the early stage of chronic myelogenous leukemia. The other two inhibitors, which are approved by the food and drug administration, are dasatinib (sprycel) and nilotinib (tasigna).
Bone Marrow Transplant:- Your leukemia bone marrow is replaced with leukemia free marrow in this process. In this treatment, you will receive a high dose of chemotherapy or radiation therapy, which results in destroying the leukemia producing bone marrow. This bone marrow is then replaced with the aid of other bone marrow from a compatible donor.
Stem Cell Transplant:- Stem cell transplant is similar process as like bone marrow transplant. Only the cells are collected from the steam cells, which circulate in the blood stream. The cells used for the transplant process can be your own healthy cell or in some cases collected from the compatible donor. Often, doctor uses this method more than the bonemarrow transplant because of less recovery time and decreased rate of any other infection.
Clinical Trails:- Some of the people with leukemia also like to try out clinical trail, which experiments different treatment with a combination of other therapies.
Supportive Medications:- In any kind of cancer therapy or treatment, it will always be required to take some medication in order to control the pain and side effects.
Actually, leukemia is a chronic problem and its treatment is not a matter of just a short duration of time. Patience on the part of the leukemia patient is of paramount importance. However, many cases worldwide have eradiated this disease completely with the aid of the above treatments.
Many people suffering with leukemia wants to take an active part in the decision making of their medical care. Leukemia is the cancer of the bone marrow. In the case of leukemia, abnormal white blood cells divide uncontrollably and crowd out the normal cells in the blood stream.
Since, the abnormal white blood cells are not fully matured; therefore, they cannot carry out their infection- fighting function in the blood. These cells affect the healthy white blood cells as well as the red blood cells, which carry oxygen to the body and to the platelets, which cause the blood to clot.
The treatment of this cancer can be very complex; it may vary on the type of leukemia and other concerned factors. However, there are treatments and drugs, which may make it easier for you to move on. Diagnosis tests for which your doctor will recommend are blood test, immunophenotype, cytogenetic analysis, and bone marrow sample.
Treatments for Leukemia:-
Leukemia is not a solid tumor, unlike the other tumors. It cannot be removed completely with the help of surgery. Generally, the treatment of leukemia depends on several factors such as age, overall health, the type of leukemia you are infected with and the extent of disease to other body parts. The treatment or the therapies used to fight against the leukemia include:-
Chemotherapy:- For leukemia, chemotherapy is the major form of treatment. In this treatment, chemical agents are used to kill the leukemia cells. Based on the type of leukemia you are infected, you may receive a single drug or the combination of one or two drugs. These drugs can be in a pill form or injected directly into a vein.
Biological Therapy:- It is also known as immunotherapy. Biological therapy uses the substances, which can strengthen your immune systems response to the cancer.
Radiation Therapy:- Radiation therapy uses X-ray or the higher energy rays to damage the leukemia cells and restrict or stop their growth. In this therapy, you can get radiation to only the specific area of your body where there is a collection of leukemia cells or directly to the whole body.
Other Drug Therapy:- There are some anti cancer drugs like arsenic trioxide and all-trans retinoic acid(ATRA) which your doctor may use with the combination of chemotherapy to treat certain types of AML i.e. promyelocytic leukemia. These drugs cause the leukemia cells with a specific gene mutation to mature and die.
Kinase Inhibitors:- Imatinib is a type of the cancer drug, which is called as a kinase inhibitor. For majority of people with CML, the drug imatinib mesylate is the first line of therapy for treatment. It has proved to be best and effective for treating the early stage of chronic myelogenous leukemia. The other two inhibitors, which are approved by the food and drug administration, are dasatinib (sprycel) and nilotinib (tasigna).
Bone Marrow Transplant:- Your leukemia bone marrow is replaced with leukemia free marrow in this process. In this treatment, you will receive a high dose of chemotherapy or radiation therapy, which results in destroying the leukemia producing bone marrow. This bone marrow is then replaced with the aid of other bone marrow from a compatible donor.
Stem Cell Transplant:- Stem cell transplant is similar process as like bone marrow transplant. Only the cells are collected from the steam cells, which circulate in the blood stream. The cells used for the transplant process can be your own healthy cell or in some cases collected from the compatible donor. Often, doctor uses this method more than the bonemarrow transplant because of less recovery time and decreased rate of any other infection.
Clinical Trails:- Some of the people with leukemia also like to try out clinical trail, which experiments different treatment with a combination of other therapies.
Supportive Medications:- In any kind of cancer therapy or treatment, it will always be required to take some medication in order to control the pain and side effects.
Actually, leukemia is a chronic problem and its treatment is not a matter of just a short duration of time. Patience on the part of the leukemia patient is of paramount importance. However, many cases worldwide have eradiated this disease completely with the aid of the above treatments.
Comments