Treatment and Prevention
CLL can result in an elevated white blood cell count that can remain stable for years, and not require treatment. Often though, mild treatments are required to keep the total count within a manageable range. Rarely, more aggressive treatments are needed for changes in the white blood cell count, or to treat complications such as anemia.
More aggressive treatments are needed for other types of leukemia.
Doctors commonly treat CML with imatinib*, one of the new medications available for cancer treatment. This medication is one of the new "targeted molecular therapies" which interferes with the the abnormal cells' ability overstimulate production of various types of blood cells. Many people with leukemia have no signs of leukemia (also called remission) for short periods of time, and some go into long-term remissions in which abnormal cells are no longer found in their blood.
White blood counts and overall health must be monitored, but sufferers can usually continue with normal activities during the therapy.
A more aggressive course of chemotherapy is used to try to get acute leukemias into remission - the stage where normal levels of blood cells are restored. During the course of therapy, however, levels of some blood components may fall, causing anemia (a lack of red blood cells), or an increased risk of infections. If the number of red blood cells or platelets get too low, a blood transfusion might be necessary. People with acute leukemias may need to take antibiotics to fight infections. Side effects of chemotherapy include nausea, vomiting, and hair loss.
Bone marrow transplant is the only cure for CML; it is also used for AML and ALL when chemotherapy doesn't work. This treatment depends on an exact match between the donor's bone marrow and the bone marrow of person receiving it. Otherwise, the body will recognize the transplanted cells as "foreign" and reject them. In some cases, you can have your own stem cells or bone marrow frozen early in the progress of leukemia or during times of remission; these can then be used later without any risk of your body rejecting the cells.
Radiation therapy is useful to reduce large numbers of undeveloped cells that accumulate in particular areas of the body. Side effects, such as hair loss and mouth ulcers, are common.
*All medications have both common (generic) and brand names. The brand name
is what a specific manufacturer calls the product (e.g., Tylenol®).
The common name is the medical name for the medication (e.g., acetaminophen).
A medication may have many brand names, but only one common name. This article
lists medications by their common names. For more information on brand names,
speak with your doctor or pharmacist.