Leukemia is a cancer of the bone marrow, the spongy center of the bones that makes blood cells. In leukemia, abnormal white blood cells divide out of control and crowd out the normal cells in the bloodstream. The abnormal white blood cells are not mature, and therefore cannot carry out their infection-fighting function in the blood. These cells crowd out healthy white blood cells, as well as the red blood cells which carry oxygen to the body and the platelets which cause the blood to clot.
Treatment usually begins by addressing the presenting symptoms such as anemia, bleeding, and/or infection. In addition, treatment for leukemia may include (alone or in combination) the following:
- chemotherapy
- intrathecal medications/chemotherapy (medications are inserted through a needle into the spinal cord into the area called the subarachnoid space)
- radiation therapy
- bone marrow transplantation or peripheral blood stem cell transplantation
- targeted therapy
- medications (to prevent or treat damage to other systems of the body caused by leukemia treatment)
- medications (for nausea and side effects of treatment)
- blood transfusions (red blood cells, platelets)
- antibiotics (to prevent/treat infections)
- continuous follow-up care (to determine response to treatment, detect recurrent disease, and manage late effects of treatment)
Links:
