Researchers’ viewpoint on curing leukemia
No current cure for leukemia has been found still to this day, researchers have provided treatments to help fight this disease but there is no one treatment that effectively cures leukemia. The cancerous cells may remain in the body after these treatments and the disease can easily return. However, there have been advancements made in research into treatments that show signs of a possible cure for leukemia. These new and more effective treatments have been developed due to clinical trials for leukemia and are listed in detail below:
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Immunotherapy for leukemia
As we know leukemia reduces the strength of patients’ white blood cells, which affects patients’ immune system, used to defend the body against disease and infection. This therapy helps patients regain the strength of their immune system by altering it, making healthy cells attack cancerous cells infecting the body. This treatment is given orally in drugs and helps to boost T-cells and maintain the strength of patients’ immune cells, preventing them from responding to cancerous cells.
Targeted therapy for leukemia
This type of therapy consists of oral medications which target specific genes or proteins involved in the growth of cancerous cells. By disrupting the growth of cancer the new cells are more likely to survive. Depending on the type of cancer or patient affects the level of aggressive treatment the patient receives.
The risks of new Leukemia treatment
Some of the side effects of immunotherapy can be redness, swelling, and irritation of the skin if injected. If taken orally, the patient can experience fever, nausea and vomiting, and fatigue but can also have complications such as infections, changes in blood pressure, and inflammatory reactions. Target therapy side effects similarly consist of fever, fatigue, nausea, and infection. There are many more side effects the patient could experience showing these are serious risks patients need to consider when being treated.
Ways to cope with leukemia
Due to researchers’ inability to find an appropriate cure for leukemia patients have been given ways to live their day-to-day lives with this disease and help make their lives as normal as possible and avoid making the cancer worse. Researchers suggest that the patient should learn more about their leukemia and become more educated on it in order to communicate better with doctors and have some insight into different treatments they may be offered. Another way is by using the support of friends and family to help with their leukemia journey, educating them on how to help the patient with the symptoms they may experience in everyday life. Researchers also recommend patients join support groups and communicate with others in the same position who also have leukemia and be able to share stories and experiences and learn from each other. It is also recommended that family and loved ones give the patient suffering from cancer sympathy and share a great deal of time with them. Some Leukemia support groups are Cancer Support Community and Cancer Care.