NO PATIENT CARE ISSUES SHOULD BE COMMUNICATED THROUGH THIS FORM.

    • Leukemia Treatment

    Leukemia is a  of blood cells. It starts in blood-forming tissue, usually the bone marrow leading to the over-production of abnormal white blood cells, the part of the immune system which defends the body against infection. The major types of Leukemia cancer are Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML), Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL), Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML), Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL).

    SYMPTOMS

    • Anemia
    • Frequent infections
    • Excessive sweating, especially at night (called “night sweats”)
    • Fatigue and weakness that don’t go away with rest
    • Unintentional weight loss
    • Bone pain and tenderness
    • Painless, swollen lymph nodes (especially in the neck and armpits)
    • Enlargement of the liver or spleen
    • Red spots on the skin, called petechiae
    • Bleeding and bruising easily
    • Fever or chills

    DIAGNOSIS

    • Bone Marrow Biopsy
    • Bone Marrow Aspiration
    • Complete Blood Test
    • Cytogenetics
    • Imaging Tests – MRI, CT Scan,
    • Chest X-Ray
    • Spinal Tap

    TREATMENT AVAILABLE IN INDIA

    • Chemotherapy – A method of cell-killing drugs. Steroids are normally used along with chemotherapy for lymphoid leukemia treatment. For patients with leukemia, chemotherapy is typically given:

    Orally – by mouth in the form of pill
    Intravenously – injection into the vein
    Intrathecally – into the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

    1. Chemotherapy for acute leukemias – A common chemotherapy treatment for acute leukemias (AML and ALL) begins with induction chemotherapy followed by intensification (consolidation) chemotherapy. In induction chemotherapy, a combination of drugs is used to destroy as many leukemia cells as possible and bring blood counts to normal. Then, intensification (consolidation) chemotherapy is used to destroy any remaining leukemia cells that cannot be seen in the blood or bone marrow. Patients with ALL may also receive maintenance chemotherapy. This less intensive course of chemotherapy is used to reduce the risk of the disease recurring after treatment has finished.
    1. Chemotherapy for chronic leukemia – A common chemotherapy treatment for chronic leukemia is oral chemotherapy.
    • Radiation therapy – Use of high energy rays to stop the growth of cancer cells. Radiation therapy for leukemia may be used to destroy leukemia cells, or to relieve pain or discomfort caused by an enlarged liver or spleen, or swollen lymph nodes. It can also help to treat pain from bone damage caused by leukemia cells growing in the bone marrow. Also, radiation therapy is sometimes given in low doses just before a stem cell transplant.

     

    • Targeted therapy – Recently drugs that target specific parts of cancer cells have been developed. These targeted drugs work differently than standard chemotherapy drugs. They can sometimes be helpful even when chemo isn’t, or they can be used along with chemo to help it work better.
    • Biological therapy – Treatments which use the immune system to destroy leukemia cells. Often these use antibodies against markers on the leukemia – these are known as monoclonal antibodies.
    • Stem cell transplant – Younger patients may be given a stem cell transplant (bone marrow transplant). This may be done using your own healthy stem cells or stem cells from a donor. This is most commonly done for acute leukemia if chemotherapy does not cure the disease.

    Centres of Excellence