Leukemia is a type of cancer that starts in bone marrow, the soft tissue inside your bones where blood cells are made. It makes your body produce abnormal white blood cells that don’t function properly and can crowd out healthy cells, and more than 66,000 Americans are diagnosed with leukemia each year.
However, advances in treatment offer real hope for remission and long-term survival, and you don’t have to navigate it alone. At Houston Cancer Institute, board-certified oncologist Maria Scouros, MD, and our team treat leukemia with a personalized, evidence-based approach.
We know that every patient’s journey is unique, and the best treatment for you depends on factors like the type of leukemia (acute or chronic) you have, your age and overall health, and how far the disease has progressed. Ready to learn more? Here are four of the most effective treatments we offer.
Immunotherapy is one of the most exciting breakthroughs in cancer care. It works by helping your immune system learn to recognize and attack leukemia cells more effectively.
There are several types of immunotherapy used in leukemia treatment. One approach uses lab-made antibodies that attach to cancer cells, marking them for destruction. Others include immune checkpoint inhibitors and CAR T-cell therapy, which involves modifying your own immune cells to better detect and kill cancer cells.
Immunotherapy can be especially helpful for patients whose leukemia has returned after other treatments or those with certain genetic markers that respond better to targeted immune-based therapies.
Chemotherapy has long been a front-line treatment for many types of cancer, including leukemia. With chemotherapy treatment, the strong medications circulate through your bloodstream and target fast-growing cells, including cancerous white blood cells.
For acute leukemias, we may give chemotherapy in phases, starting with induction therapy to wipe out as many cancer cells as possible, followed by consolidation or maintenance therapy to prevent recurrence.
Chemotherapy may be given intravenously, orally, or even directly into the spinal fluid, depending on the leukemia type and location of the cancer cells. While chemotherapy can come with side effects, today’s supportive care options help manage symptoms so patients can stay stronger during treatment.
Although leukemia is a blood cancer and it often affects the entire body, radiation therapy can be useful in certain situations. Radiation therapy uses high-energy beams to kill leukemia cells in a specific area (for example, if the cancer has spread to your brain or spinal cord, or if it’s causing pain or swelling in a particular organ).
We sometimes use radiation before a bone marrow transplant, too. Radiation can help prepare your body by clearing out existing marrow cells and weakening your immune system to reduce transplant rejection risk.
A bone marrow (or stem cell) transplant is a powerful option for patients with certain high-risk or relapsed leukemias. This procedure involves replacing the diseased bone marrow with healthy stem cells from a donor or your own previously collected cells.
Bone marrow transplant allows your body to begin producing healthy blood cells again and gives your immune system a fresh start. If you’re a good candidate for bone marrow transplant, we might discuss pairing it with chemotherapy and/or radiation beforehand to eliminate as many leukemia cells as possible.
No matter your diagnosis, our team works closely with you to determine the most effective combination of treatments for your needs. With leading therapies and compassionate, expert care, we’re here to help you fight leukemia with strength and confidence. Schedule a consultation with our specialists online or call our nearest office in Houston or Katy, Texas, today.
