Treatment
Treatment of leukemia depends on several factors that include the type of leukemia, overall health, age, and the area of the body affected by the disease. Five of the most common types of treatments are as follows:
Chemotherapy
This type of treatment uses anti-cancerous drugs. The purpose of this method is to damage the cancerous cells and give minimum harm to healthy cells. Anti-cancer drugs prevent cancerous cells from reproduction and growth.
These drugs are normally administered through the vein that means they are injected intravenously. A catheter is usually used that lasts long to prevent frequent injections. It can also be given via a drip that is linked with a catheter.
Some of the drugs are also given orally in tablet form or maybe given via intraperitoneal that means injecting under the skin. Usually, CLL is treated by this method.
For treating acute leukemia by chemotherapy, some patients need to stay at the hospital for some weeks. Some patients are allowed to stay at home but called for regular check-ups and treatment.
To treat acute leukemia, chemotherapy is done at three different stages that include induction therapy, maintenance therapy, and consolidation therapy.