Treatments

Leukemia treatment plans often are personalized and geared toward each individual patient. In general, there are five major approaches to the treatment of leukemia:

1- Chemotherapy to kill leukemia cells using strong anti-cancer drugs.

2- Interferon therapy to slow the reproduction of leukemia cells and promote the immune system's anti-leukemia activity.

3- Radiation therapy to kill cancer cells by exposure to high-energy radiation.

4- Stem cell transplantation to enable treatment with high doses of chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

5- Surgery to remove an enlarged spleen or to install a venous access device (large plastic tube) to give medications and withdraw blood samples.

Interferon Therapy To Treat Leukemia

Interferons are a class of proteins that are released by virus-infected cells. They help normal cells to make antiviral proteins. Interferons also help the body to reduce the leukemias cell growth and reproduction, while strengthening the body's immune response.