Blood Cancer Treatment

Routine Blood Tests can identify Leukaemia before symptoms are seen. In case symptoms have already been observed, the doctor will determine its presence through swollen lymph nodes, spleen or liver. A complete blood count will also be necessary to identify, as a higher count of White Blood Cells and a lower count of other cells is observed in the case of Leukaemia. A tissue sample is taken from the hip bone to look for cancer cells in Bone Marrow Aspiration and Biopsy which helps confirm Leukaemia and identify its type.

1. Induction Therapy – Kills Leukaemia cells in the bone marrow by chemotherapy. 
2. Consolidation Therapy- Reduces the chance of relapse by stem cell transplant or chemotherapy. 
3. Maintenance Therapy- Uses lower doses and fewer cycles of therapy to ensure the complete eradication of Leukaemia. 

The several alternatives for the treatment of Leukaemia are:

• Chemotherapy is a combination of drugs injected intravenously or given in pill form. It has other side effects such as swelling, hair fall, weight gain and diarrhoea.
• Biological Therapy helps the immune system of the body to identify the Leukaemia cells and to slow their growth or kill them. 
• Targeted Therapy uses drugs which attack specific weaknesses of the cancer cells, such as it stops the production of proteins in cancer cells due to which they die.
• Radiation Therapy uses X-Rays to kill the cancer cells in a targeted location or sometimes even the whole body. This therapy is essential before a stem cell transplant.
• Bone Marrow Transplant / Stem Cell Transplant in which bone marrow or the stem cells are taken from a compatible donor, preferably closest relatives, and are used to replace the diseased bone marrow. 

There are several risks involved in the treatment of Leukaemia. The main risk involved in a Bone Marrow Transplant is Graft-versus-Host disease in which the donor cells start to attack those of the recipient and hence causes problems in relation to immunity. In addition to this, there is a chance of Graft rejection in which the donor stem cells do not function effectively in the recipient and fail to differentiate into blood cells. This would lead to thrombocytopenia and anaemia. 

In case of Targeted therapy, Biological therapy and Chemotherapy, there are chances that normal cells are damaged during treatment. There are side effects of Chemotherapy such as swelling, hair fall, weight gain and diarrhoea.

After a bone marrow transplant, the patient is monitored by the doctor for signs of graft rejection. A medication for GVHD is given to prevent it from occurring. Antifungals, antivirals and antibiotics are also given in order to prevent all sorts of infections. Regular blood tests are conducted in order to check if blood counts are back to normal and to check the functioning of the donor’s stem cells in the recipient. The patient may require blood transfusions in case of too much blood loss or slow recovery.     

After a chemotherapy or radiation therapy, thee patient is required to take the suitable medication prescribed and regular visits to the doctor are necessary.