Types of Treatment

Transcript

Certain types of leukemias can be cured with aggressive therapies. This is true for select patients with acute leukemias that are treated with aggressive chemotherapy regiments, and sometimes allogeneic STEM cell transplant. That is the transplant of a healthy person’s immune system and blood cells into that of a leukemia patient.

Unfortunately, acute leukemias often develop in older patients who are not always suitable candidates for this type of aggressive therapy. Other types of chronic leukemias or some acute leukemias cannot be cured, but can be controlled quite well with a variety of different types of therapies. Some of those include old fashioned chemotherapy, but now we are using more targeted oral or pill therapies or immune based therapies. Rarely some types of leukemia can be followed without any type of therapy.

Key Takeaways

1. Certain types of leukemias can be cured with aggressive therapies including chemotherapy regiments and allogeneic STEM cell transplant.

2. Allogeneic STEM cell transplant is the transplant of a healthy person’s immune system and blood cells into that of a leukemia patient.

3. Unfortunately, acute leukemias often develop in older patients who are not always suitable candidates for this type of aggressive therapy.

4. Other types of chronic leukemias or some acute leukemias cannot be cured, but can be controlled quite well with a variety of therapies including chemotherapy or more targeted oral or pill therapies or immune based therapies.

5. Rarely, some types of leukemia can be followed without any type of therapy.