The goal of leukemia treatment is to destroy the cancer cells, so that normal cells can grow back into the bone marrow, and prevent recurrence.
In general, the treatment of leukemia is based on chemotherapy and bone marrow transplants.
Chemotherapy guidelines vary depending on the type of leukemia, so it must be individualized for each patient. During the treatment it may be necessary to carry out transfusions to the patient to correct the anemia and hemorrhages, and to administer antibiotics to treat the infections.
In some types of leukemia it is possible that radiotherapy is administered jointly, either in a specific area (such as the spleen or testicles), or throughout the body, which is known as total body irradiation, which, as from the Carreras Foundation, it is usually applied as a step prior to performing a transplant of hematopoietic progenitors.
Chemotherapy is often used combinations of drugs, and if the leukemia cells reappear over time, bone marrow transplantation may be the best alternative healing for the patient. However, for this to be possible it is necessary to obtain the bone marrow of a compatible person (HLA-compatible) with the patient, usually a close relative.
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