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ABOUT CHRONIC LEUKEMIA TREATMENT

Chronic leukemia treatment aims to cure or alleviate and manage symptoms of leukemia. Leukemia is a type of cancer that affects the blood cells in the body. It usually begins in the bone marrow where an abnormality occurs in the white blood cells. Normal blood cells form, divide, and die to make room for new cells. Leukemia disrupts this process and prevents the blood cells from functioning properly.

There are 2 different categories of leukemia, which are acute leukemia and chronic leukemia. These 2 categories are characterized by the speed in which they develop. Acute leukemia develops quite rapidly, with cells that are not fully formed, quickly multiplying and unable to perform their normal function. Chronic leukemia can occur either when there are not enough or there are too many cells produced. The blood cells develop more slowly than with acute leukemia, meaning that the cells may be able to perform some of their function, which causes few symptoms.

While patients with chronic leukemia experience fewer symptoms than acute leukemia, symptoms may still be present. The symptoms can include pain in the joints or bones, fever, night sweats, fatigue, easily bruised, swollen lymph nodes, and inflamed liver or spleen.

Leukemia is diagnosed by taking blood samples to examine for the presence of abnormal blood cells. In some cases a bone marrow biopsy may be taken. This is usually extracted from the hip and the patient will be given a local anesthetic to ease any pain and discomfort.

There are 2 main types of chronic leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). These 2 types of leukemia are more common in adults than in children. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia occurs when abnormal lymphocytes, which are a type of white blood cells, are produced and multiply. Rather than dying, these cells multiply and create complications, as there may not be enough space for new cells to grow.

Chronic myelogenous leukemia occurs when there is an abnormality in the blood cells. A myeloid cell starts off as an immature cell and once it matures, it becomes a red blood cell, white blood cell, or a platelet. Most patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia have a problem with the chromosomes in the cell, whereby what is known as the Philadelphia chromosome, causes the cell to produce too much protein, thus encouraging the cells to multiply and grow out of control.

Chronic leukemia develops slowly and generally cannot be cured, however, it can be treated with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, drug therapy, and biological therapy to help manage the symptoms and go into remission.

Recommended for

  • Chronic Leukemia

TIME REQUIREMENTS

Number of days in hospital: 1.

After receiving chemotherapy or radiotherapy, the patient will usually leave the hospital on the same day.

Average length of stay abroad

The amount of time abroad will depend on how many chemotherapy or radiotherapy cycles are required.

Leukemia is a type of cancer that affects the blood cells in the body.

HOW TO FIND QUALITY TREATMENT ABROAD

Every year, close to 14 million patients travel worldwide for the purpose of receiving medical care. At Intclinics, we provide our patients with access to the top clinics and doctors around the world. To discover where the best Chronic Leukemia Treatment clinics are for you, search on Intclinics for treatments all around the world.
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BEFORE CHRONIC LEUKEMIA TREATMENT ABROAD

Before undergoing any treatment, the doctor will conduct a physical exam, take blood samples, and may take a bone marrow sample.

Once the patient has been diagnosed, the doctor will determine the stage of the cancer and will check to see if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.

Patients with complex conditions may benefit from seeking a second opinion before beginning a treatment plan. A second opinion means that another doctor, usually an expert with a lot of experience, will review the patient’s medical history, symptoms, scans, test results, and other important information, in order to provide a diagnosis and treatment plan. When asked, 45% of US residents who received a second opinion said that they had a different diagnosis, prognosis, or treatment plan.

HOW IS IT PERFORMED

Chemotherapy involves using medication or drugs that contain chemicals, which is most commonly administered through a vein. The patient will need to undergo a number of chemotherapy treatments in order to help alleviate any symptoms and go into remission. Chemotherapy is administered in cycles over a number of days, with periods of rest in between cycles. The doctor will monitor the progress to observe any changes in the cells.

Radiotherapy is another method of treatment that uses high-energy beams of radiation to target the cancer and stop the cells from growing. The patient will lie on a table and a machine will rotate around them, aiming the beams of radiation at the targeted area. Depending on the patient, radiation may be directed all over the body, rather than limiting it to a specific area. Radiotherapy is performed over a number of weeks and is monitored by the doctor.

Drug therapy involves administering the patient with specific drugs such as Arzerra and Gleevec, which can help to inhibit the overproduction of protein by the Philadelphia chromosome and control the cancer.

Biological therapy involves using drugs to encourage the immune system to attack the cancer cells and to help prevent the cells from growing. The body normally produces biological response modifiers (BRM’s), which function to fight off infection in the body. This substance can be produced in a laboratory and used to treat leukemia.

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Possible discomfort

Patients may feel nauseous or vomit after receiving chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT CHRONIC LEUKEMIA TREATMENT

Potential risks

  • Infertility

Side Effect

  • Nausea
  • Fatigue
  • Mouth sores
  • Vomiting
  • Hair loss
2023-07-15T23:36:43+00:00