Leukemia is a type of cancer that affects the body’s blood-forming tissues, including the bone marrow and the lymphatic system. There are various types of leukemia, some affecting mostly children and others primarily adults. In any case, leukemia typically involves white blood cells - the cells that fight off infections. In people with leukemia, the bone marrow produces excessive abnormal white blood cells, which do not function properly.
Most patients looking into leukemia treatment understand what leukemia is and how it affects their bodies. Read on to learn more about the most common treatments used to fight leukemia.
Leukemia often presents symptoms such as fever or chills, persistent fatigue, weakness, frequent or severe infections, easy bleeding or bruising, recurrent nosebleeds, and tiny red spots in one’s skin (petechiae), among others. Therefore, it is crucial that patients visit a physician as soon as they notice irregular symptoms, especially those that do not go away.
Symptoms of leukemia are often vague and non-specific. As a result, many patients overlook early leukemia symptoms, which often resemble flu symptoms and other common illnesses. Sometimes leukemia is discovered during blood tests for another condition. Patients may also request blood tests and other screenings for irregular symptoms.
Physicians may find chronic leukemia (more-mature blood cells that replicate over time) in a routine blood test before symptoms begin. If this happens, or a patient exhibits signs or symptoms that suggest leukemia, they may undergo certain diagnostic exams.
Treatment for leukemia typically depends on certain factors, such as age, overall health, the type of leukemia, and whether it has spread to other parts of the body, including the central nervous system. However, patients will typically undergo one or more of these common treatments:
Chemotherapy is a common treatment used to treat most types of cancers. The treatment consists of chemicals that destroy fast-growing cells in the body. Chemotherapy is the major form of treatment for leukemia. Depending on the patient’s leukemia type, they may receive a single drug or a combination of drugs. These drugs may come in a pill form or be injected directly into a vein.
Targeted drug treatments focus on specific abnormalities found within cancer cells. Targeted drug treatments can kill these cancer cells by blocking these abnormalities. Leukemia cells are tested prior to therapy to determine if targeted therapy may help.
Radiation therapy uses X-rays or other high-energy beams to destroy leukemia cells, halt their production, and stop their spread. During radiation therapy, patients lie on a table while a large machine moves around them, directing the radiation to precise points on their bodies. Radiation therapy is also used to prepare for a bone marrow transplant.
A bone marrow transplant, also called a stem cell transplant, helps reestablish healthy stem cells. The transplant involves replacing unhealthy bone marrow with leukemia-free stem cells that regenerate healthy bone marrow. However, before a bone marrow transplant, patients receive extremely high doses of chemotherapy or radiation therapy to destroy their leukemia-producing bone marrow. Then, they receive an infusion of blood-forming stem cells that help rebuild their bone marrow.
Immunotherapy uses the patient’s own immune system to fight cancer. The body’s disease-fighting immune system may not attack cancer cells because they produce proteins that help them hide from the immune system cells. Immunotherapy works by interfering with that process.
If you are experiencing abnormal, recurring, or persistent symptoms, do not hesitate to schedule a consultation as soon as possible. As with any type of cancer, leukemia is most treatable when caught in its early stages. Call our office today to learn more or schedule a consultation wherein we can order tests and get you started on treatment.
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