Chemotherapy for blood cancer refers to oral or intravenous administration of specific drugs to target the abnormal cancerous cells.
Generally, chemotherapy drugs target cancer cells to kill them, but the efficacy of this modality will again depend on the stage of cancer. However, in early stage cancer, chemotherapy results are usually better.
Chemotherapy drugs for leukemia
Chemotherapy for leukemia often consists of several drugs given together in a set regimen. Because each medication destroys tumor cells in different ways, a combination of drugs may make the cells more vulnerable to treatment.
Generally, oral chemotherapy drugs for leukemia works well as usually it is given in pill form or intravenously.
In some rare cases, chemotherapy drugs may also be delivered directly into the cerebrospinal fluid, which surrounds the brain and spinal cord. This procedure is designed to target cancer cells that have spread there.
Chemotherapy for leukemia side effects
Side effects of chemotherapy for leukemia vary with drug type and dosage, which may include destruction of healthy cells in bone marrow, hair, GI tract and mouth.
In leukemia treatment, chemotherapy also impacts the bone marrow’s capability to generate sufficient amount of blood cells.
Chemotherapy for leukemia costs
Cost for chemotherapy may vary depending on various factors such as type of blood cancer, grade or stage of cancer, number of chemo cycles required and the kind of drugs to be used. However, success rate of chemotherapy for leukemia is quite satisfactory and most of the time it leads to remission.