Question: What is the cause of leukemia, and what is the prognosis for a cure? I was diagnosed with the disease but have no symptoms.
Dr. Hibberd's Answer:
Leukemia is a malignant or cancerous condition of blood cell lines that is caused by the unrestrained growth of bone marrow cells. There are different types which tend to vary in aggressiveness.
We generally have excellent success with multidrug therapy for treatment of acute leukemias, but it is most effective early in the disease. Some chronic leukemias grow so slowly that observation alone may be sufficient. Some patients require ablation of their bone marrow cell lines to clear their leukemia followed by bone marrow transplantation.
The major problems leukemic patients face is related to opportunistic infections that can complicate treatment. Since each type of leukemia is different, it is hard to discuss more without knowing which type you have.
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