TREATMENT+Leukemia+ABBC

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**Leukemia Treatment** Treatment usually includes a combination of the methods listed below:
 * stem cells
 * chemotherapy (use of chemicals)
 * Different for acute and chronic leukemia
 * radiation therapy (target specific areas of body with radiation from x-rays) [[image:http://www.pocketpicks.co.uk/latest/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/radiation1.JPG width="132" height="139" caption="radiation can cause leukemia" link="http://www.pocketpicks.co.uk/latest/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/radiation1.JPG"]]
 * bone marrow transplants
 * most effective--highest success rate
 * can be dangerous if patient's body rejects new cells, or new cells attack old cells
 * bone marrow can come from yourself, an identical twin, close relative, or someone with similar blood cells

Different types of leukemia have different treatments. Acute leukemia needs to be treated right away and most people can be cured, but if it is very rare to be completely cured from chronic leukemia.

Patients receive chemotherapy in cycles. First there is a treatment period, then there is a recovery period, and it goes on. There are many side effects of chemotherapy because it can damage other cells in your body, such as cells in hair roots, so you lose your hair, or blood cells so you get infections and bruising easily, and cells that line the digestive tract, so you get mouth sores, vomiting and loss of appetite.
 * Chemotherapy** is used often in the treatment of leukemia. This treatment uses drugs to kill the cancer. You can receive the drugs in many ways such as
 * by mouth
 * by injection into a vein
 * through a catheter
 * a thin tube placed in a large vein in the upper chest, which is useful for patients that need frequent treatments. This is so you don't need many injections which can injure your veins
 * Injection into cerebrospinal fluid
 * they use this method when leukemia cells are found in the fluid near the brain or spinal cord because drugs injected in the vein or by mouth don't reach the spinal cord or brain
 * injecting into the spine


 * Radiation** uses high-energy rays to kill the leukemia cells. Most patients have the radiation directed at where the leukemia cells are collected, but some patients have radiation directed at the whole body. Patients do full-body radiation before a bone marrow transplant.


 * Stem cell transplants** include the following
 * Bone marrow transplants
 * Umbilical cord transplants
 * Autologous stem cell transplants
 * this transplant uses the patients own cells. Doctors remove the stem cells and freeze them, and after high doses of chemotherapy and radiation, give the cells back to the patient.
 * Allogeneic stem cell transplants
 * when you use a donor's stem cells from a family member. Sometimes you can get the stem cells from someone unrelated to you.

Quiz question: Bone marrow transplant is the most effective method of treatment, so why is it so dangerous sometimes?