Treatment options for leukemia
.People with leukemia have many treatment options.
-Watchful waiting
-Chemotherapy
-Targeted therapy
-Biological therapy
-Radiation therapy
-Stem cell transplant
. If the spleen is enlarged, doctor may suggest surgery to remove it.
.Sometimes a combination of these treatments is used
-Pancreatic cancer can be controlled only if it is found before it has spread, when it can be removed by surgery.
-If the cancer has spread, palliative treatment can improve the patient's quality of life by controlling the symptoms and complications of this disease.
.The choice of treatment depends mainly on the following:
.The type of leukemia (acute or chronic)
-Age
-Whether leukemia cells were found in cerebrospinal fluid
-Certain features of the leukemia cells
-Symptoms
-General health
-People with chronic lymphocytic leukemia who do not have symptoms may be able to put off having cancer treatment.
- By delaying treatment, they can avoid the side effects of treatment until they have symptoms.
-Not getting cancer treatment right away is called watchful waiting.
There are 2 general types of surgery used for pancreatic cancer:
-Potentially curative surgery
Used when imaging tests suggest that it is possible to remove all the cancer.
Palliative surgery
-May be done if imaging tests show that the tumor is too widespread to be completely removed.
-This is done to relieve symptoms or to prevent certain complications like a blocked bile duct or intestinal tract.
-Many people with leukemia are treated with chemotherapy.
-Chemotherapy uses drugs to destroy leukemia cells.
-Depending on the type of leukemia, you may receive a single drug or a combination of two or more drugs.
-Chemotherapy is usually given in cycles. Each cycle has a treatment period followed by a rest period
-People with chronic myeloid leukemia and some with acute lymphoblastic leukemia may receive drugs called targeted therapy.
-Targeted therapies use drugs that block the growth of leukemia cells. For example, a targeted therapy may block the action of an abnormal protein that stimulates the growth of leukemia cells.
Targeted therapy
-Biological therapy for leukemia is treatment that improves the body's natural defense against the disease.
-One type of biological therapy is a substance called a monoclonal antibody.
-This substance binds to the leukemia cells. One kind of monoclonal antibody carries a toxin that kills the leukemia cells. Another kind helps the immune system destroy leukemia cells.
Biological therapy
-Radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy) uses high-energy rays to kill leukemia cells.
Radiotherapy
Stem Cell Transplantation
-A method of replacing immature blood-forming cells in the bone marrow that have been destroyed by cancer.
-Stem cells are injected into the patient and make healthy blood cells.
.A stem cell transplant may be
-Autologous: Using a patient’s own stem cells that were saved before treatment
-Allogeneic: Using stem cells donated by someone who is not an identical twin
-Syngeneic : Using stem cells donated by an identical twin
-People with acute leukemia need to be treated right away.
-The goal of treatment is to destroy signs of leukemia in the body and make symptoms go away. This is called a remission.
-After people go into remission, more therapy may be given to prevent a relapse. This type of therapy is called consolidation therapy or maintenance therapy.
-Many people with acute leukemia can be cured.
-People with acute leukemia need to be treated right away.
-The goal of treatment is to destroy signs of leukemia in the body and make symptoms go away. This is called a remission.
-After people go into remission, more therapy may be given to prevent a relapse. This type of therapy is called consolidation therapy or maintenance therapy.
-Many people with acute leukemia can be cured.
-Chronic leukemia without symptoms, may not need cancer treatment right away.
-Doctor will watch the patient health closely so that treatment can start when patient begin to have symptoms (watchful waiting).
-When treatment for chronic leukemia is needed, it can often control the disease and its symptoms. People may receive maintenance therapy to help keep the cancer in remission, but chronic leukemia can seldom be cured with chemotherapy.
-However, stem cell transplants offer some people with chronic leukemia the chance for cure.
-A rare cancer that forms in tissues of a salivary gland. Most salivary gland cancers occur in older people.
-The salivary glands make saliva and release it into the mouth. Saliva has enzymes that help digest food and antibodies that help protect against infections of the mouth and throat.
-More than half of all salivary gland tumors are benign (not cancerous) and do not spread to other tissues
There are 3 pairs of major salivary glands:
-Parotid glands: These are the largest salivary glands and are found in front of and just below each ear. Most major salivary gland tumors begin in this gland.
-Sublingual glands: These glands are found under the tongue in the floor of the mouth.
-Submandibular glands: These glands are found below the jawbone.
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