Distinction between three types of therapy
For the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia is performed initially intensive chemotherapy. It can be distinguished: - Induction Therapy: Applied to cytotoxic drugs, which are drugs that attack cancer cells more than healthy cells. These drugs are given in combinations. There are a number of treatment cycles carried out with a drug-free interval in between. During this period, the number of leukocytes is often very low and the patient is extremely vulnerable to infections. Therefore, the induction therapy is carried out in strict isolation. The aim is a complete remission which is usually reached after 1 to 2 therapy blocks.
- Consolidation therapy: it serves to stabilize and to the destruction of the still remaining leukemia cells. These are usually repeated the induction therapy. Thereafter, you may receive a high-dose chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant performed.
- If no stem cell transplantation is performed, is a maintenance therapy. It takes about 2 to 3 years (minimum 1 year). The objective is to stabilize the treatment success and secure.
Side effects
The terms used in cytotoxic chemotherapy have, unfortunately, in addition to their effect on malignant tissue degenerate and harmful effect on healthy tissue and cause some side effects. They take special cells to multiply greatly. These are in addition to the leukemia cells, cells of the gastrointestinal tract, and hair and normal blood formation. Therefore, these organs are affected by preference of side effects:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Fatigue
- Hair loss (after the end of treatment, the hair loss is completely back to 3 to 6 months)
- Mucositis
- Some cytotoxic drugs that are used for cancer treatment, increase long-term risk of leukemia cancer.
Risk of infection increases
- The damaging effect on the bone marrow there also reduces the formation of red blood cells (erythrocytes) and platelets) (platelets, which leads to anemia and bleeding tendency. The risk of infection is increased.
|
