Treatments
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Treatment for leukemia is specific to each individual to ensure that it is cured and the side effects are kept minimal. They might include:
Stem cell transplantation
In a stem transplant healthy blood forming stem cells are infused into the body. This can help restore healthy bone marrow, stimulate bone marrow growth and restore the immune system. The stem cells can come from the patient itself in which case it would be called an autologous stem cell transplantation or it can come from a donor in which case it would be called an allogeneic stem cell transplantation. An advantage in an allogeneic stem cell transplant is that it ensures the stem cells are healthy. The transplant happens after the leukemia cells are destroyed through either chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
Chemotherapy
In induction chemotherapy, anticancer drugs are used to destroy leukemia cells and bring the blood back to normal. Intensification chemotherapy destroys any remaining leukemia cells that cannot be seen in the blood or bone marrow. Maintenance chemotherapy prevents the leukemia cells from returning.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy can be used to destroy leukemia cells as well as alleviate pain caused by enlarged spleen, liver, lymph nodes or damaged bone marrow. In radiation therapy, radioactive substances such as x-rays are used to destroy cancers cells since high energy can destroy DNA.
Immunotherapy
In immunotherapy the immune system is stimulated to attack the leukemia cells or provided with the requirements to fight the leukemia cells. In monoclonal antibody therapy, antibodies made in laboratories are introduced to the patient's body where they bind and destroy the leukemia cells. In radio immunotherapy, radioisotopes are attached to antibodies so the radiation can be delivered specifically to the leukemia cells in order to destroy them.
The treatment for leukemia has been developed so well that 90% of patients who have undergone these treatment never had the cancer return again.
Stem cell transplantation
In a stem transplant healthy blood forming stem cells are infused into the body. This can help restore healthy bone marrow, stimulate bone marrow growth and restore the immune system. The stem cells can come from the patient itself in which case it would be called an autologous stem cell transplantation or it can come from a donor in which case it would be called an allogeneic stem cell transplantation. An advantage in an allogeneic stem cell transplant is that it ensures the stem cells are healthy. The transplant happens after the leukemia cells are destroyed through either chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
Chemotherapy
In induction chemotherapy, anticancer drugs are used to destroy leukemia cells and bring the blood back to normal. Intensification chemotherapy destroys any remaining leukemia cells that cannot be seen in the blood or bone marrow. Maintenance chemotherapy prevents the leukemia cells from returning.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy can be used to destroy leukemia cells as well as alleviate pain caused by enlarged spleen, liver, lymph nodes or damaged bone marrow. In radiation therapy, radioactive substances such as x-rays are used to destroy cancers cells since high energy can destroy DNA.
Immunotherapy
In immunotherapy the immune system is stimulated to attack the leukemia cells or provided with the requirements to fight the leukemia cells. In monoclonal antibody therapy, antibodies made in laboratories are introduced to the patient's body where they bind and destroy the leukemia cells. In radio immunotherapy, radioisotopes are attached to antibodies so the radiation can be delivered specifically to the leukemia cells in order to destroy them.
The treatment for leukemia has been developed so well that 90% of patients who have undergone these treatment never had the cancer return again.