Leukemia Chemotherapy
Treating leukemia with chemotherapy
Leukemia is a cancer of the bone marrow and blood characterized by an abnormal replication of white blood cells or leukocytes. The term Leukemia covers a broad spectrum of diseases. Almost all types of this condition are treated with chemotherapy.
Types of Leukemia
Leukemia can be divided into several large groups or classifications. Acute leukemia is sudden rapid increase of immature blood cells. This sudden overpopulation creates a situation in which the bone marrow is unable to produce healthy blood cells. This type of acute leukemia is most often found in children.
Chronic leukemia is a slower building up of mature, but abnormal white blood cells. This type of leukemia is often monitored for a period of time before chemotherapy is attempted. This condition is usually found in adults, but sometimes does affect children.
Symptoms of leukemia vary and are often initially ignored or disregarded by the patient. Because the bone marrow is being overwhelmed and can’t replace red blood cells or blood platelets the blood clotting process becomes a problem. Developing bruises too easily, bleeding excessively, or developing ‘pinprick’ bleeds known as petechie is one sign of this cancer. Some patients might feel sick, have fevers, nights sweats and frequent infections.
The low red blood cell count causes anemia characterized by extreme paleness and fatigue. Almost all leukemia is treated with chemotherapy while some patients will also need radiation therapy and a bone marrow transplant if a donor can be found.
Leukemia Chemotherapy can both be tough on a patient, but this type of therapy often represents the patient’s best chance for a return to health. In the treatment of acute lymphoblastic chemotherapy is used with the hope of preventing leukemic cells from spreading to other vital sites in the body.
Induction chemotherapy is used to bring about a bone marrow remission. Consolidation or intensification therapy is used to eliminate remaining leukemia cells after other treatment. This is usually a high-dose, multi-drug therapy which may need to be undergone for several months. Maintenance treatments with chemotherapy drugs may still be given for up to three years once remission is achieved to prevent recurrence of the cancer. Treatment for chronic leukemia is different in that chemotherapy is often a last resort and in some forms of the disease might even be treated with oral chemotherapy drugs.
Currently serious research is being conducted into the possible causes, better diagnosis and treatment of all forms of leukemia.