It is just normal for the leukemia patients to be interested in the types of chemotherapy for leukemia.
Such treatments use anticancer drugs that are meant to destroy the cancer cells by preventing their growth and reproduction. Usually the patients are given several different drugs in a specific regime.
Information about the chemotherapy types for leukemia
Since all the treatments have a different approach to killing the cells, a combination of the drugs makes the cancer cells even more vulnerable to the treatment.
The chemotherapy can be given orally in the form of a pill, intrathecally into the fluid around the spinal cord or brain or intravenously right into the vein.
Chemotherapy solutions for leukemia
The main point of the treatment is to kill the cancer cells and to make sure that the condition won’t return.
It is possible for the patients to receive only chemotherapy or this can be combined with other treatment methods, such as radiation therapy, immunotherapy and also stem cell transplantation.
Chemo for severe leukemia
In this case the types of chemotherapy for leukemia include beginning the treatment with chemo followed by consolidation chemotherapy.
At the beginning the doctors use a combination of different drugs that are meant to kill the leukemia cells and to bring the blood counts back to normal.
After this, the chemotherapy solutions for leukemia also include the intensification of the chemotherapy in order to kill any remaining leukemia cells that cannot be seen in the bone marrow or blood.
It is also possible for the patients to receive maintenance chemotherapy. This is a less intensive therapy that is meant to reduce the chances of the condition ever returning.
Chemo for chronic leukemia
In this case the types of chemotherapy for leukemia include oral medication. The patients with this kind of condition may receive Spycell, Gleevec or Tasigna. It is also possible for the patients to receive FCR or fludarabine, rituximab and cyclophosphamide or bendamustine.
Helping with the side effects
Regardless of what methods of chemotherapy for leukemia you opt for, for sure you will be faced with different kinds of side effects. This is because while the drugs affect the leukemia cells, they also affect the normal and healthy cells. It is possible for the drugs to interfere with the blood cell production of the bone marrow too.
If you would like some help with the side effects of the different types of chemotherapy for leukemia you should consider naturopathic medicine, nutrition therapy, oncology rehabilitation or pain management. This way you will be stronger so you will be able to go on with your regular activities.
The most common side effects of the different chemotherapy methods for leukemia include nausea, cardiotoxicity, taste changes, fatigue, mouth sores, neuropathy, hair loss, sexual dysfunction and lowered blood counts.
As you can see there are several different options when it comes to types of chemotherapy for leukemia. It is up to you to choose the one that is the most suitable for you and your lifestyle.
