Chemotherapy for Leukemia

Chemotherapy is the treatment for cancer in which drugs or chemicals are used to kill cancer cells in one’s body. Chemotherapy drugs are also known as anti cancer agents used to eradicate various cancers including leukemia cancer. Chemotherapy for leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma is sometimes combined with radiation therapy. Treatment includes high dose chemotherapy followed by stem cell transplantation.

Various chemotherapy drugs are available which are used, either alone or in combination with one another to treat leukemia cancer. Chemotherapy drugs kill cancer cells and stop growth of cancer. Different chemotherapy combinations  drugs act differently on cancer cells. Your doctor decides which chemotherapy drug is useful for you depending on extent of cancer. The doctor also needs to consider chemotherapy drugs side effects  before choosing a chemotherapy drug.

Leukemia chemotherapy drugs

Chemotherapy drugs including chlorambucil, cyclophosphamide, melphalan, carboplatinum, daunorubicin, doxorubicin, idarubicin, mitoxantrone, methotrexate, fludarabine, cytarabine, vincristine, vinblastine, etoposide, topotecan, prednisone and dexamethasone are used to treat leukemia cancer. These chemotherapy drugs are usually used in combination of two or three drugs to achieve better results.

Chemotherapy drugs can be administered using different ways which include intravenous, orally, intramuscular or intrathecally. The method of application depends on the actual cancer, the chemotherapy drug, and effectiveness of chemotherapy. Intravenous method (IV) is a very common way of applying chemotherapy drugs. A small plastic needle is inserted into one of the veins in the lower arm and medicine directly inserted into a vein. Sometimes syringe is used to insert medicine.

Some chemotherapy drugs which are in the form of pills, liquid, capsule or tablets are taken orally. This method of application of drug is the easiest and most convenient method since it can be performed at home. Other way to insert drug is intramuscular in which chemotherapy drug is injected into the muscle. Some chemotherapy drugs are injected under the skin rather than into the muscle and this method is known as subcutaneous injection.

Some types of leukemia and lymphoma spread to the nervous system. To treat such type of leukemia and lymphoma, spinal tap is performed and chemotherapy drug is injected into the spinal fluid to kill cancer cells. This is called an intrathecal method of administration. A permanent device, called an Omaya reservoir is placed under the scalp if many treatments are required.

Chemotherapy is used to destroy cancer cell. However, chemotherapy can also affect normal body cells along with cancer cells. This causes certain side effects among the patients. Chemotherapy drugs mostly affect skin, gastrointestinal tract, bone marrow and scalp (hair follicles) tissues. Side effects associated with chemotherapy depends on chemotherapy drugs being used, method of administration, length of chemotherapy, amount of dose and ultimately theoverall health condition of the patients.

Side effects of chemotherapy include nausea, vomiting, fatigue, loss of appetite, hair loss, memory loss, diarrhea, mouth sores, eyes sore, skin rashes, infection, low blood cell count and bleeding. However, these side effects are temporary and will disappear once treatment is over.