Acute lymphoblastic leukemia treatment in India

What is Acute lymphoblastic leukemia?

Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is kind of a cancer of blood and bone marrow, the spongy tissue inside bones where blood cells are made. ALL is also known as acute lymphocytic leukemia or acute lymphoid leukemia. ”Acute” means it gets worse quickly. It’s a rare type of leukemia, or blood cancer, in adults but the most common type in children. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia invades your blood and can spread to other organs, such as your liver, spleen, and lymph nodes. But it usually doesn’t make tumors like other types of cancer. 

Symptoms  

• Fatigue
• Fever
• Loss of appetite or weight loss
• Night sweats
• Tiny red spots just under your skin (petechiae)
• Stomach pain
• Frequent infections
• Frequent or severe nosebleeds
• Lumps caused by swollen lymph nodes in and around the neck, armpits, abdomen or groin
• Pale skin

Causes and Risk Factors

• Previous cancer treatment. Children and adults who've had any type of chemotherapy and radiation therapy for other kinds of cancer may have an increased risk of developing acute lymphocytic leukemia.
• Exposure to radiation. People exposed to very high levels of radiation, such as survivors of a nuclear reactor accident, have an increased risk of developing acute lymphocytic leukemia.
• Genetic disorders. Certain genetic disorders, such as Down syndrome, are associated with an increased risk of acute lymphocytic leukemia.
• Infection with the human T-cell lymphoma/leukemia virus-1 (HTLV-1) or the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV.
• Being white
• Being male

Diagnosis

• Imaging tests. X-rays, CT scans, or ultrasounds can tell your doctor whether the cancer has spread.
• Spinal tap. Also known as a lumbar puncture. Doctor will use a needle to take a sample of fluid from around your spinal cord. A specialist can look at it to see if the cancer has reached your brain or spinal cord.
• Blood tests. A complete blood count (CBC) shows how many of each type of blood cellyou have. A peripheral blood smear checks for changes in how your blood cells look.It is also done to check chromosomes or look for markers on cancer cells.
• Bone marrow tests. Doctor will put a needle into a bone in your chest or hip and take out a sample of bone marrow. A specialist will look at it under a microscope for signs of leukemia.

Stages of Treatment

Treatment for acute lymphocytic leukemia falls into separate phases:

• Induction therapy. The purpose of the first phase of treatment is to kill most of the leukemia cells in the blood and bone marrow and to restore normal blood cell production.
• Consolidation therapy. Also called post-remission therapy, this phase of treatment is aimed at destroying any remaining leukemia in the body.
• Maintenance therapy. The third phase of treatment prevents leukemia cells from regrowing. The treatments used in this stage are usually given at much lower doses over a long period of time.
• Preventive treatment to the spinal cord. In this type of treatment, chemotherapy drugs are injected directly into the fluid that covers the spinal cord. During each phase of therapy, people with acute lymphocytic leukemia may receive additional treatment to kill leukemia cells located in the central nervous system.

Treatment

• Chemotherapy. It is a mix of drugs that kill or slow cancer cells, usually over a couple of years.
• Targeted therapy. Some drugs target specific parts of cancer cells and tend to have fewer or milder side effects than chemotherapy.
• Radiation therapy. Your doctor might use high-energy radiation to kill cancer cells if they’ve reached your brain or bone or before you have a stem cell transplant.
• Immunotherapy. These drugs boost your immune system to kill or slow the growth of cancer cells. They include blinatumomab (Blincyto) and inotuzumab ozogamicin (Besponsa).
• Bone marrow transplant. A bone marrow transplant, also known as a stem cell transplant, may be used as consolidation therapy or for treating relapse if it occurs. This procedure allows someone with leukemia to re establish healthy bone marrow by replacing leukemic bone marrow with leukemia-free marrow from a healthy person. A bone marrow transplant begins with high doses of chemotherapy or radiation to destroy any leukemia-producing bone marrow. The marrow is then replaced by bone marrow from a compatible donor (allogeneic transplant).

Treatment for older

Older adults, such as those older than 65, tend to experience more complications from treatments. And older adults generally have a worse prognosis than children who are treated for acute lymphocytic leukemia. Some people may choose to forgo treatment for the cancer, instead focusing on treatments that improve their symptoms and help them make the most of the time they have remaining.

Frequntly asked questions

Q.Is acute lymphoblastic leukemia deadly?

Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is also called acute lymphoblastic leukemia. “Acute” means that the leukemia can progress quickly, and if not treated, would probably be fatal within a few months.

Q.Is Acute leukemia is curable?

Acute leukemias can often be cured with treatment. Chronic leukemias are unlikely to be cured with treatment, but treatments are often able to control the cancer and manage symptoms. Some people with chronic leukemia may be candidates for stem cell transplantation, which does offer a chance for cure.

Q.Can you be fully cured of leukemia?

While there is currently no cure for leukemia, it is possible to treat the cancer to prevent it coming back. Treatment success depends on a range of factors. Treatment can include: chemotherapy.

Q.What foods cure leukemia?

• 5 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables.
• Whole grains and legumes.
• Low-fat, high-protein foods, such as fish, poultry, and lean meats.
• Low-fat dairy.

Q.What should you not eat when you have leukemia?

• Avoid raw or rare meat and fish and uncooked or undercooked eggs.
• Thoroughly cook eggs (no runny yolks) and avoid foods containing raw eggs such as raw cookie dough or homemade mayonnaise.
• Avoid unpasteurized beverages, such as fruit juice, milk and raw milk yogurt.

Q.What is the prevention of leukemia?

There is no known way to prevent leukemia, but avoiding tobacco and exposure to pesticides and industrial chemicals might help.