Causes
Ionizing rays: After the nuclear bomb attacks in Japan and the nuclear reactor accident in Chernobyl, an increased incidence of the leukemias ALL (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia) and AML (Acute Myeloid Leukemia) was observed. Smoking: It is mainly a risk factor for AML (Acute Myeloid Leukemia) benzene: it is also a risk factor for the development of leukemias.It is also contained in cigarette smoke.
Therapy
For each patient, the therapy adapted to his needs must be created. The exact therapy options for each form of leukemia are discussed in the corresponding sections. Here general therapy options for leukemia are presented.
One of the most important therapeutic options is chemotherapy, in which growth-inhibiting substances (cytostatics) are used to stop the uncontrolled growth of the affected cells. So-called high-dose chemotherapy is another, special type of therapy based on the following principle: The “normal” administered chemotherapy is limited in its dose, as it also destroys healthy cells of the bone marrow. The administered drugs destroy not only the degenerated cells, but all cells that divide very quickly, including healthy cells of the haematopoietic system in the bone marrow.
During the procedure of the so-called allogeneic (foreign donor) bone marrow transplantation, the patient is first given a high-dose chemotherapy, with the knowledge and the danger, of course, of destroying most of the healthy cells in addition to the malignant cells. Under the highest level of isolation for the patient, who is now extremely susceptible to infection, suitable foreign donor stem cells of the haematopoietic system are administered to him, so that new, healthy blood cells can form again (see: stem cell donation). In some studies the benefit of the so-called autologous stem cell transplantation has been investigated.
Healthy stem cells are taken from the patient himself before the high-dose chemotherapy, which are then reinserted after the high-dose chemotherapy. It has the advantage that they are the body’s own cells and would not be rejected. The disadvantage is the lack of clinical experience and knowledge, as it is a very new procedure.
Radiotherapy plays a rather minor role in the treatment of leukemia. In recent years, more and more direct-acting drugs have been developed. These substances specifically target the cause of uncontrolled cell growth.
The best known drug of this type is imatinib (Gleevec®), which specifically inhibits the product of the atypical connection (translocation) between the gene carriers (chromosomes) 9 and 22, the tyrosine kinase, and thus acts directly at the defective site and does not attack non-sick cells. With the introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors, the prognosis of leukemia could be improved considerably. If you would like to learn more about this chemotherapy and are interested in its effects and side effects, we recommend our page: Targeted chemotherapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitors
