Leukemia Treatment: How It Works, What You Can Expect?

Leukemia is a cancer that affects your blood, bone marrow, and other blood-producing organs. If left untreated, it can quickly spread to other parts of the body and prove fatal. Thankfully, there are several effective treatments for leukemia. For instance, following a healthy diet is one. There are some who even want to take it up a notch by using weight loss supplement. While it could be a good idea, it is still recommended to consult with your doctor to avoid complications in the future.

A diagnosis of leukemia can be an extremely frightening experience for anyone. However, today we have much more knowledge about this disease than ever before. The good news is treatment for most types of leukemia is very effective in most cases – with some even being curable completely.

What’s the Difference between Acute and Chronic Leukemia?

First let’s clarify what the differences are between acute and chronic leukemia. The most important difference is that acute leukemia is treatable and curable as opposed to chronic leukemia where the patient has a poor prognosis.

The other major difference between the two is that acute leukemia develops quickly – often within a few weeks or months from when it was detected – while chronic leukemia develops over a longer period of time.

A person can be diagnosed with acute leukemia if the bone marrow has been affected by large numbers of leukemia cells. This then interferes with the ability of the bone marrow to produce healthy blood cells.

How Does Treatment for Leukemia Work?

Most types of leukemia are treated with a combination of chemotherapy drugs and radiation therapy. Some patients also undergo a stem cell transplant to replace their damaged bone marrow.

A bone marrow transplant is a procedure that involves replacing the bone marrow inside the body with new bone marrow.

A transplant is often recommended when the bone marrow is severely damaged or diseased by leukemia.

Treatment for Acute Leukemia

If you have acute leukemia, you are treated with a combination of high-dose chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy.

Treatment for Chronic Leukemia

Meanwhile, if you have chronic leukemia, you will likely receive a combination of chemotherapy and a type of targeted therapy. A targeted therapy is a type of treatment that uses molecules to block or interfere with the growth of cancer cells, or kill those cells.

Leukemia is a serious condition that affects the production of blood cells. There are several different types of leukemia, and each responds to different treatments. Leukemia is treatable and with proper treatment, most people are able to recover.