Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy may be given as pills or by injection. Chemotherapy
drugs interfere with the ability of cancer cells to grow and spread, but
they also damage healthy cells. Although healthy cells can recover over
time, you may experience side effects from your treatment like nausea,
vomiting, loss of appetite, fatigue, hair loss and an increased risk of
infection.
Stem cell transplant
Sometimes high doses of chemotherapy are used
to treat leukemia that has come back or if there is a high risk that it
may come back. High-dose chemotherapy destroys the bone marrow cells as
well as the leukemia cells, so the bone marrow will need to be replaced
with a transplant of stem cells. All blood cells develop from stem
cells found in the bone marrow and in the bloodstream.
Before high-dose chemotherapy is given, stem
cells will be taken from you or from a donor whose bone marrow is a
close match to your own. Soon after the chemotherapy treatment, the stem
cells are put back into your blood. Within a few weeks, the new stem
cells will start to make blood cells.
A stem cell transplant is a very and complex procedure. For this
reason, stem cell transplants are done in specialized transplant centres
or hospitals by a team of highly trained healthcare professionals. Side
effects can be very serious and may even be life-threatening. You will
be watched very closely after a stem cell transplant and carefully
followed up for a period of time after leaving the hospital. It may take
several months to fully recover after a stem cell transplant.
Radiation therapy
In external beam radiation therapy, a
large machine is used to carefully aim a beam of radiation. The
radiation damages the cells in the path of the beam – normal cells as
well as cancer cells. Radiation side effects will be different depending
on what part of the body receives the radiation. You may feel more
tired than usual, have some diarrhea, or notice changes to the skin (it
may be red or tender) where the treatment was given.
Radiation may be used for some types of leukemia to treat the
disease or prevent it from spreading. If you need a stem cell
transplant, you may also be given radiation to the whole body to destroy
the bone marrow cells. This is called total body irradiation.
Biological therapy
Biological therapy uses your immune system to
fight cancer or to help control side effects of other cancer
treatments. Natural body substances or drugs made from natural body
substances are used to boost the body’s own defences against illness.
There are two forms of biological therapy used to treat leukemia: monoclonal antibodies and interferon alfa.
Both are given by injection. Monoclonal antibodies are sometimes used
to treat people with CLL, ALL and AML. Interferon alfa may also be used
for CML (although people with CML are more likely to be treated with
cancer growth inhibitors). Side effects of these drugs often cause
flu-like symptoms, such as chills, fever, muscle aches, weakness and
nausea. More serious side effects are rare. Some people may have a
severe skin rash, breathing problems or low blood pressure. The side
effects usually disappear once treatment is finished. Be sure to discuss
the risks and benefits of this treatment with your healthcare team.
Targeted therapy
Targeted therapies use drugs that attack specific types of cancer cells without damaging healthy cells. Cancer growth inhibitors
are a type of targeted therapy. They interfere with a cancer cell’s
ability to grow and divide. Some cancer growth inhibitors can be used to
treat people with CML, ALL and AML. These drugs are taken by pill or
capsule. Side effects are most likely to occur during the first few
months of treatment. Side effects may get better as treatment continues.
Watchful waiting
Watchful waiting is a treatment option that may be offered to
people with CLL who have no symptoms. Watchful waiting means your
healthcare team will watch the leukemia closely. You will visit your
doctor regularly for a physical examination. Other tests may be done
from time to time. Active treatment, such as chemotherapy or radiation,
may be considered if signs of leukemia appear or change. Once the
symptoms are controlled, you and your doctor may decide to return to a
watchful waiting program.
Surgery
Surgery is rarely used to treat chronic leukemia, but some people
with chronic leukemia will need to have their spleen removed. The
spleen is located in the abdomen and is attached to the stomach, left
kidney and colon. In chronic leukemia, the spleen may become enlarged.
An enlarged spleen can cause discomfort and pain. It also destroys red
blood cells and platelets, causing anemia and bleeding. If chemotherapy
or radiation doesn't shrink the spleen, then it may be removed by
surgery. Surgery to remove the spleen is called splenectomy. It is done under general anesthetic (you will be unconscious).
After surgery you may have some pain or bleeding. These side
effects are temporary, and can usually be controlled. Without a spleen,
you may be more at risk of infections.
Side Effects of treatment
Relieving Pain
Learn more about ways to
manage and control your pain and discomfort, side effects and stress
when you are having cancer treatments.
Coping with Cancer
Everyone’s cancer experience is different. Whether you are
newly diagnosed, in active treatment, or are caring for someone with
cancer, you will probably need to deal with many day-to-day issues, make
tough decisions, and cope with a range of emotions.
Long-term monitoring
Growth
factors may be used in order to decrease the length of neutropenia
following chemotherapy in patients with (chronic lymphoid leukemia,
CLL).
Leukemia is a neoplasm of acute or chronic blood-forming cells in bone
marrow and spleen (Reeves, 2001). The other characteristic of leukemia
is the proliferation of irregular or accumulation of white blood cells
in bone marrow, replace normal bone marrow elements. Proliferation also
occurs in the liver, spleen, and lymph nodes. The invasion of
non-haematological organs such as the meninges, gastrointestinal tract,
kidney, and skin.
