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→Treatment: Spelling, grammar, and general fixes, typos fixed: vomitting → vomiting
The mainstay of treatment for leukemia is chemotherapy. Cytotoxic agents are introduced into the body which affect rapidly dividing cells, including cancer cells, resulting in their death. A patient will often undergo several cycles of chemotherapy, administered according to strict protocols. For example, AML is commonly treated with induction chemotherapy (under the 7:3 protocol), and then several cycles of consolidation chemotherapy (under the HiDAC protocol). Chemotherapy is often administered into the spinal cord and brain through intrathecal chemotherapy, particularly for ALL.
The mainstay of treatment for leukemia is chemotherapy. Cytotoxic agents are introduced into the body which affect rapidly dividing cells, including cancer cells, resulting in their death. A patient will often undergo several cycles of chemotherapy, administered according to strict protocols. For example, AML is commonly treated with induction chemotherapy (under the 7:3 protocol), and then several cycles of consolidation chemotherapy (under the HiDAC protocol). Chemotherapy is often administered into the spinal cord and brain through intrathecal chemotherapy, particularly for ALL.
These affect rapidly dividing cells, including not only leukemia cells, but also normal blood cells, hair, and the mucosal surfaces lining the gastrointestinal tract. This produces a number of side effects, including a pancytopenia (high risk of infection and bleeding), nausea, vomitting, diarrhoea and hair loss. The mortality rate from chemotherapy is approximately 3-4%, the majority of these deaths due to infection. Patients are closely monitored following a cycle, and if they become febrile are treated with powerful IV antibiotics.
These affect rapidly dividing cells, including not only leukemia cells, but also normal blood cells, hair, and the mucosal surfaces lining the gastrointestinal tract. This produces a number of side effects, including a pancytopenia (high risk of infection and bleeding), nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and hair loss. The mortality rate from chemotherapy is approximately 3-4%, the majority of these deaths due to infection. Patients are closely monitored following a cycle, and if they become febrile are treated with powerful IV antibiotics.
==Risk Factors==
==Risk Factors==