Some facts about leukemia treatment options

Leukemia has two major types: acute and chronic. Inallogeneic bone marrow stem cell transplant we can
what concerns acute leukemia, there are two forms:mention the risk of graft-versus-host disease. This
if leukemia involves lymphocytes, we are dealing withhappens when the other person's bone marrow
acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and if it involvesattacks the recipient's body. In this way, there
myeloid cells, is called acute myelogenous leukemia.appears a disease that affects the skin, liver and
Depending on the particular cell that has becomemany other organs. In this case, therapy with
malignant, there can be many different types ofimmunosuppressive drugs is needed.
acute lymphoblastic leukemia and acute myelogenousWhen a matched donor is available, there can be
leukemia.It was seen that chronic leukemia affectsperformed transplantation for high-risk leukemia
primarily the myeloid cells in the bone marrow. This ispatients in first remission. In very high-risk patients,
called chronic myelogenous leukemia, and is foundlike those with leukemia who fail to achieve first
mostly in adults, but children and teenagers canremission with chemotherapy, there can be done an
develop it too.We must mention that there exists aunrelated donor transplant as soon as remission is
disorder of the bone marrow known asachieved. As eligible we can mention infants with
myelodysplastic syndrome. Often called aleukemia, children with high-risk lymphoblastic leukemia
pre-leukemia syndrome because patients with it haveand children with acute myelogenous leukemia. Also,
a significantly increased risk of developing leukemia,children with myelodysplastic syndrome are eligible for
this syndrome is often associated with low blood celltransplant as soon as the diagnosis is established.
counts and increased requirements for transfusions.Many children with acute leukemias whose leukemia
Allogeneic bone marrow stem cell transplantation ishas relapsed can have bone marrow stem cell
used to treat a variety of childhood leukemias ortransplantation. Transplantation can be from related
cancers and myelodysplastic syndrome that involvedonors like brothers, sisters, parents, and occasionally
the cells within the bone marrow. In this transplant,more distant relatives such as cousins and
there are used another person's bone marrow cellsgrandparents.Also, transplantation can be from
to restore bone marrow after high dosematched unrelated donors, including umbilical cord
chemotherapy and radiation therapy.As an advantageblood.In what concerns children with chronic
of an allogeneic transplant over an autologousmyelogenous leukemia who cannot be put into
transplant we can mention the "graft-versus-leukemiacomplete remission with drugs, they should undergo a
effect". The donor's healthy bone marrow killstransplant as early as possible in the course of the
residual leukemia cells, and in this way decreases thedisease.
patient's chance of relapse.As a disadvantage of an