ALL (Leukemia)

Leukemia is a type of cancer, which is the name for a group of related diseases. This type of cancer specifically starts in the blood cells, though there are many different types of leukemia.

Chronic leukemia is when the blood cells are still able to do their work early in the disease and those with the condition may not experience any symptoms. The symptoms will start once the number of leukemia cells in the blood rises. Acute leukemia is when the blood cells cannot carry out their work, and the abnormal cells increase extremely rapidly.

Leukemia is also classed according to the type of white blood cell that is affected, either being lymphoid or myeloid.

How Leukemia Is Treated

The treatment of leukemia will usually start with a meeting with a specialist of leukemia treatment. Treatment itself may consist in chemotherapy, radiation therapy, bone marrow transplants, or biological therapy. Often patients will receive a combination of these treatments.

It is important that the treatment starts as soon as possible. Once the symptoms disappear treatment may still continue in order to prevent a relapse (known as maintenance therapy). Many people who have acute leukemia can be cured.

Those who are diagnosed with chronic leukemia who do not have symptoms may not require immediate treatment, and the doctor will monitor the patient. The treatment, when started, will help to control the symptoms though it can rarely cure the disease. Maintenance therapy will usually be required as the method to keep patients with the disease in remission.

Advancements in Treatment

Advancements are taking place all the time, and many patients choose to join clinical trials in order to benefit from the latest drugs used to treat the condition. New drugs are being researched all the time.