What is leukemia chemotherapy?
Leukemia is a malignant blood disease characterized by the disordered proliferation of abnormal white blood cells in the bone marrow. Chemotherapy is one of the main methods of leukemia treatment, using drugs to kill or inhibit the growth of cancer cells. This article will introduce the relevant knowledge of leukemia chemotherapy in detail, including its principles, common drugs, side effects and nursing points.
1. Principles of leukemia chemotherapy
Chemotherapy achieves therapeutic goals by using chemical drugs to interfere with the growth and division process of cancer cells. For patients with leukemia, chemotherapy drugs are usually given intravenously or orally. After entering the blood circulation, they act on abnormal cells throughout the body, especially in the bone marrow.
| chemotherapy stage | purpose | duration |
|---|---|---|
| induction therapy | Rapidly reduce the number of leukemia cells | 4-6 weeks |
| Consolidation treatment | Remove remaining cancer cells | months |
| Maintenance treatment | Prevent recurrence | 1-2 years |
2. Common leukemia chemotherapy drugs
There are many types of leukemia chemotherapy drugs, and different drug combinations are usually selected according to the type of leukemia (such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia ALL, acute myeloid leukemia AML, etc.). Here are some commonly used medications:
| Drug name | Applicable leukemia types | Main mechanism of action |
|---|---|---|
| Cytarabine | AML | Interfere with DNA synthesis |
| vincristine | ALL | Inhibits microtubule formation |
| Methotrexate | ALL | Inhibit folate metabolism |
| Daunorubicin | AML/ALL | insert DNA strand |
3. Common side effects and management of chemotherapy
While chemotherapy kills cancer cells, it also affects normal cells, especially rapidly dividing cells (such as hematopoietic cells, digestive tract cells, etc.), so it will produce a series of side effects:
| Side effect type | incidence | management measures |
|---|---|---|
| Myelosuppression | high | Regular blood routine examination, blood transfusion or use of growth factors if necessary |
| Nausea and vomiting | Middle to high | Use antiemetics and eat small, frequent meals |
| hair loss | in | Use mild shampoo and consider wearing a wig |
| Oral ulcers | in | Keep your mouth clean and use mouthwash |
4. Key points of nursing care for leukemia chemotherapy
1.Infection prevention:Because chemotherapy lowers the number of white blood cells, patients are susceptible to infections. Contact with sick people should be avoided, personal hygiene should be maintained, and masks should be worn when necessary.
2.Nutritional support:During chemotherapy, a high-protein, high-calorie diet is required, with small meals and frequent meals. If you have a loss of appetite, consider nutritional supplements.
3.Psychological support:Long-term chemotherapy may cause psychological stress. Patients and their families should receive psychological counseling and maintain a positive attitude.
4.Regular monitoring:Regular blood tests, bone marrow punctures, etc. are required to evaluate the treatment effect and adjust the plan.
5. Evaluation of chemotherapy efficacy
The efficacy of leukemia chemotherapy is mainly evaluated by the following indicators:
| Efficacy standards | definition |
|---|---|
| Complete remission (CR) | The blast cells in the bone marrow are <5%, and the blood picture returns to normal. |
| Partial remission (PR) | 5-25% blast cells in bone marrow, or decreased by ≥50% |
| treatment failure | Failure to meet the above criteria or disease progression |
6. New progress in the treatment of leukemia
In recent years, many new methods have emerged in the field of leukemia treatment, such as targeted therapy, immunotherapy (CAR-T cell therapy), etc. These new treatments, combined with traditional chemotherapy, have significantly improved cure rates for certain types of leukemia. For example, tyrosine kinase inhibitors targeting Ph+ ALL have greatly improved the prognosis of these high-risk patients.
Chemotherapy for leukemia is a complex and long process that requires the close cooperation of patients, families and medical teams. With the advancement of medicine, the treatment effect of leukemia is constantly improving, bringing hope to more patients.
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