Having blood cancer can be a stressful ordeal for its sufferers, but on the bright side, treatment continues to improve over the years, significantly increasing the survival rate.
Treatment, however, will depend on factors like a person’s age, type of condition, and the extent of its effects on the body. Take a look below to learn more about the common methods of treating blood cancer…
1. Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a popular treatment for various kinds of cancers. For blood cancer, drugs like dexamethasone, doxorubicin, or vincristine, along with other substances are injected into the body to destroy and stop the production of cancer cells. A word of caution though, as chemo has its cons too.
The following is also a frequently used treatment for blood cancer…
2. Radiation Therapy
Like chemo, radiotherapy is also a popularly recommended treatment that makes use of radiation with high wavelengths to kill blood cancer cells, shrink tumors, and relieve bone pain. This is commonly used for patients who are in the early stages of cancer.
Some treatments are a bit more precise in their aim, though…
3. Targeted Therapies
Targeted therapies use drugs that kill specific genes involved in the production of malignant blood cancer cells. This is done without affecting healthy, normal cells. These treatments are ideally used to treat those suffering from leukemia.
It’s always good to have a Plan B, as the next option shows…
4. Bone Marrow Transplant
Sometimes called stem cell transplants, bone marrow transplants involve the infusion of healthy stem cells from the patient or donor’s bone marrow into the body to help replace damaged ones. This procedure is usually performed after high doses of chemotherapy or radiotherapy to condition the body for transplantation.
A similar method draws cells from another source…
5. Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplant
Similar to bone marrow transplant, this method also makes use of stem cells but draws from the patient or a donor’s bloodstream instead of the bone marrow. Both transplants are often used to treat people with leukemia, lymphoma, or myeloma.
This next treatment taps into the body’s line of defense…
6. Immunotherapy
As its name suggests, this treatment works with the body’s immune system to specifically slow down and destroy blood cancer cells. Immunotherapy is often used as a last recourse when other methods fail.
Other treatments, however, sometimes resort to more drastic measures…
7. Surgery
Organs like the spleen tend to deteriorate from cancer cells, which can then causes inflammation, pain, fatigue, and bleeding. The only option in these cases would be to remove them through splenectomy, a kind of laparoscopic surgery that involves making small incisions in the stomach to remove the spleen from the body.
What you eat can make a huge difference in treatment…
8. Maintain A Healthy Diet
Regularly eating healthy foods can mitigate the effects of blood cancer, increase resistance, and improve overall health. Nutritionists recommend a diet of primarily fruits and vegetables, with a generous assortment of whole grains, non-fat dairy, lean meats, fish, and olive oil.
It pays to be in good shape, too, when it comes to treating blood cancer…
9. Exercise Frequently
Regular physical exercise is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle, especially for blood cancer patients on the road to recovery. Gentle aerobic and flexibility exercises help patients maintain a healthy lifestyle. Yoga and pilates, on the other hand, help promote greater physical endurance and coordination.
But, physical health is not the only important part of treatment…
10. Get Emotional Support
Receiving a blood cancer diagnosis can have a heavy impact on patients, with a number of them suffering from anxiety and depression. But, studies show that providing strong emotional support can help patients cope with the effects, improve their quality of life, and even increase their chances of survival.
