Treatment for leukemia
Specific treatment for leukemia will be determined by your child’s physician based on:
- Your child’s age, overall health and medical history.
- Extent of the disease.
- Your child’s tolerance for certain medications, procedures or therapies.
- Expectations for the course of the disease.
- Your opinion or preference.
Treatment usually begins by addressing the presenting symptoms such as anemia, bleeding and/or infection. In addition, treatment for leukemia may include (alone or in combination) the following methods:
- Chemotherapy.
- Intrathecal medications/chemotherapy – medications are inserted through a needle into the spinal cord into the area called the subarachnoid space.
- Radiation therapy.
- Bone marrow transplantation.
- Biological therapy.
- Medications – to prevent or treat damage to other systems of the body caused by leukemia treatment.
- Medications – for nausea and side effects of treatment.
- Blood transfusions – red blood cells, platelets.]
- Antibiotics – to prevent/treat infections.
- Continuous follow-up care – to determine response to treatment, detect recurrent disease and manage late effects of treatment.