Leukemia Treatment Archives - Blood Cancer Cure

Leukemia Treatment for Pakistan’s Patients

Leukemia is one of the most commonly found cancers amongst Pakistan’s patients. It involves a maximum of children who are affected by this disease and are looking for leukemia treatment. Nearly 30% of the involved cases of leukemia are children of different age group. Abnormal white blood cell production by the bone marrow leads to this disease. It further has its types depending upon the kind of abnormal cell found in blood like myeloid or lymphoid cells.

In Lymphocytic leukemia, lymphoid cells get affected and cause leukemia.

In Myelogenous leukemia, myeloid cells get affected and cause leukemia.

Acute leukemia might quickly progress and require instant treatment whereas chronic leukemia takes time to progress and show its symptoms and hence can be monitored over time before starting with a particular treatment. Several cases of acute non-lymphocytic/ acute myeloid leukemia or ANLL/AML and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) undergo the treatment successfully every year in India.

Although India is still striving hard to redefine the healthcare structure for more specialized and advanced treatments and others which are coming each day, however, Indian hospitals are fully equipped in every way to handle cases of ALL, AML, and CML.

How can Pakistan’s patients get leukemia treatment in India?

The Indian government has taken an initiative to make things easy for Pakistan’s patients by allowing Medical Visa. Moreover, India has turned into a global health destination so there is never a no to Pakistan’s patients for medical reasons. The process might require proper documentation and time to get things on track.

So Pakistan’s patients can now easily reach India for treatment and for further assistance and guidance there are numerous applications and websites available for helping medical tourists to find their best hospital.

Leukemia treatment involves chemotherapy session along with radiations followed by Bit procedures to cure the disease completely. In some of the rare cases, there occur chances of disease relapse but such complications can also be handled by the experienced doctors available in India.

What is the prognosis of leukemia in Pakistan’s patients?

Prognosis of this disease has its link with age, the presence of specific genetic markers, WBC count during diagnosis, and response towards treatment from the beginning. Majority of Pakistan’s patients seeking leukemia treatment involve children. Hence, all proper initiatives by the Indian government have been taken to support such Pakistan’s patients who reach out to India for medical help and treatment.

Related FAQs:

1) Q: How is leukemia treatment started for any patient?

A: In order to begin with treatment a proper diagnosis of the disease is required which involves blood and bone marrow tests. In these tests, significant values of immunological as well as cytogenetic markers are evaluated. If the presence of leukemia is confirmed than further tests for checking which other body parts are involved is done. Like lumbar puncture is done to locate leukemia cells in the cerebrospinal fluid of the body.

2) Q: What are the signs to look for the presence of leukemia in any person?

A: Some of the commonly found signs include:

• Abnormal skin bruising and pigmentation or patches due to red blood cell reduction in the body

• Malaise, pallor, bone pain

• Infections

• Hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, lymphadenopathy etc.

3) Q: Is leukemia a serious condition? Is there any safe treatment available?

A: Yes, The disease can turn out to be serious if not treated on time. Since it might involve some serious infections and even complicate the situation by the presence of hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, and lymphadenopathy due to the presence of excessive white blood cells. Bone marrow transplantation followed by chemo sessions is till date considered to be the best option of leukemia treatment till date.

What are the treatment options for leukemia

The leukemia treatment can be decided considering many factors like type or subtype of leukemia, patient’s age, stage of the disease, genetic abnormality, current health condition of the patient etc. Leukemia is mainly a blood cancer in which the affected cells travel throughout the body and spread the disease. So treatment requires initially stopping of disease spread within the body and then complete removal of the body and its cause. Several treatment options have been designed as per the type of leukemia but targeted therapy has its own benefits in treating this disease. Even some of the leukemia cases required a mandatory watchful period to decide what can be the best line of treatment for that particular type.

What are the different leukemia treatment options?

Your doctor can decide the best leukemia treatment option for you after the complete analysis of your condition. Either one or a combination of more leukemia treatment options can be used for the treatment purpose. Following are the few available leukemia treatment options:

Chemotherapy: This therapy works by killing the rapidly dividing cells of the body which are cancer cells but it also acts on normal cells of the hair follicles as they also divide rapidly. This therapy is very often used in CLL and CML as a leukemia treatment either alone or in combination with other options.

Radiation therapy: It is used as a pre-transplant leukemia treatment in most of the spreading leukemia cases to prevent it from further spreading and reaching in the central nervous system.

Stem cell transplant: This is an option for patients with less than 55 years of age. In this damaged stem cells are replaced by healthy new stem cells. It reboots the immune system again after blood cell formation begins by the healthy stem cells.

Targeted therapy: This leukemia treatment is effective in treating some types of leukemia in which few medications are administered to target cancer cells and inhibiting their cell cycle and division. A particular hinderance is created in mechanisms supporting cancer cell growth by the medicines. This therapy even has fewer side effects than chemo or radiation therapy and even has a particular target approach which is more effective in most of the cases. TKIs or Tyrosine inhibitors are the used target enzyme drugs which interrupt the cancer cell growth in the targeted therapy.

Watchful waiting: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is one of the exceptions which needs this leukemia treatment option as early stages do not progress with speed and hence any treatment is not needed during that. This is even not the same as foregoing treatment and hence do not affect the survival of the patient in any positive way. Several symptoms are closely observed like fever, fatigue, sweating, lymph node enlargement, spleen or liver anomalies, abnormal weight loss, abnormal cell count of the blood, and progression of symptoms etc. So proper active surveillance is required until some viable treatment option can be decided after a complete analysis of the disease.

Supportive therapy: This mainly involves managing the expected or unexpected complications which arise during leukemia treatment.

Is there any other way by which a healthcare team can plan a leukemia treatment?

The healthcare team considers the following main types of leukemia presence in any patient before starting any treatment therapy:

• Acute Myelogenous Leukemia

• Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia

• Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia

• Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Related FAQs:

1) Q: What are the risk factors of leukemia?

A: Leukemia in its early stages might produce flu-like symptoms in a person. This might let the condition of leukemia go undetected. But in case you have any of the following risk factors than probably your flu-like symptoms can be due to leukemia:

• Chemotherapy and radiation therapy

• Genetic or blood disorders

• 65 and above age

• Down syndrome

• A family history of blood cancer

• Tobacco usage

• Exposure to certain industrial solvents or chemicals

2) Q: Can LGL type of leukemia be hereditary?

A: No, this type of leukemia is only acquired after birth. Although, LGL involves mutations in the leukemic cells and these are an acquired type of mutations. Further, these cannot even be transferred by genes to the offsprings in any way.

3) Q: Is there any particular follow-up care required after leukemia treatment?

A: Every treatment or procedure requires follow-up care. So during leukemia treatment, you might have to go for follow-up visits after regular intervals because it allows your doctor to monitor the health progress during the recovery period.

Leukemia Treatment for UAE’s Patients

In the past few years, several UAE’s patients are coming to India for leukemia treatment. It is mainly because of limited leukemia treatment options available in UAE and economic Indian medical treatment pricing etc.

Every patient suffering from leukemia needs a specific leukemia treatment as per the condition. This requires a medical team of professional and number of equipment. Indian hospitals are equipped in both especially the cancer specialty hospitals. Some of the leukemia cases can be cured with Chemotherapy only whereas, others might require a combination of chemo, radiations and bone marrow transplant for complete leukemia treatment.

UAE has limited oncologists and hematologists which makes the treatment and fees costing high due to more demand. So UAE’s patients rely on India and have faith in the provided treatments.

Medical tourism has increased in India, in the past few years. Among the total leukemia patients reaching India via medical tourism involves 8% from the Gulf countries with nearly 5% from UAE.

What UAE’s patients must know about leukemia?

Leukemia tends to occur after some mutations occur in the DNA either acquired or by birth. This defective encoding of DNA misguides the body and produces defective cells and compromises the immune system of the body.

Main types of leukemia:

Lymphocytic leukemia: It involves effect over lymphoid cells due to hereditary mutations which cause leukemia.

Myelogenous leukemia: It involves effect over myeloid cells due to acquired mutations which cause leukemia.

Is modern diagnostic technology available in Indian hospitals to treat foreign patients with leukemia?

Effective leukemia treatment is only possible if UAE’s patients get a proper diagnosis. Several Indian hospitals are equipped with modern technology diagnostic equipment all under one roof of the hospital. It further makes it easy for foreign patents like UAE’s patients. A proper pathology department with professionally skilled doctors is there to provide an in-depth diagnosis to the oncologists before leukemia treatment can be started.

When you must see a doctor for leukemia treatment?

You must consider taking a doctor appointment if you notice any of the common leukemia symptoms like chills with fever, frequent nosebleeds, skin bruising and even patches on the skin, excessive sweating, extreme fatigue, enlarged liver, spleen or swollen lymph nodes, bone pain episodes, infections, and weight loss etc.

In the initial stages of leukemia, it is difficult to diagnose without blood tests and most of its symptoms are like common flu and infection. So you must not ignore as early diagnosis can only help in early leukemia treatment.

Related FAQs:

1) Q; Is there any specific way to prevent leukemia in UAE’s patients?

A: No, there is no significant way to completely prevent leukemia in UAE’s patients or in any other patient. Although, risk factors can be minimized which further reduces its chances. Like few lifestyle changes might help. Smoking is known to be a probable risk for AML and quitting it not only reduces risks but also minimizes another cancer of lung, throat, stomach etc.

2) Q: What are the two main types of leukemia?

A: Acute and chronic leukemia are its two types. In acute disease progresses quickly and needs immediate leukemia treatment. However, in chronic leukemia progression of a disease and symptom appearance both are slow. This leukemia might remain stable for long durations even without drug therapy.

3) Q: Is there any need to look for the second opinion before starting leukemia treatment?

A: Yes, it is always advisable to go for the second opinion. Especially if:

• You yourself feel the diagnosis is not accurate or doctor is not explaining things properly

• Your cancer is one of the rare types than its good to look for another advice

• Your type of leukemia treatment has multiple options for treatment etc.

• Your country does not possess much cancer experts like in case of UAE’s patients