Treatment types and planning
Treatment for blood cancers and related disorders is tailored to each patient’s specific condition, stage, age, overall health, and genetic factors. A personalized treatment plan often combines different therapies such as chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, stem cell transplant, and supportive care. The goal may range from cure to long-term disease control or symptom management. Planning also involves regular monitoring and adjustments to therapy depending on response and side effects.
Leukaemia
- Acute forms (ALL, AML): intensive chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and stem cell transplantation in selected patients
- Chronic forms (CLL, CML): targeted drugs (e.g., TKIs for CML), immunotherapy, chemotherapy for resistant disease
Supportive care includes transfusions, infection prevention, and growth factors
Lymphoma
- Combination chemotherapy (e.g., CHOP, ABVD) as the backbone of treatment
- Targeted therapy and monoclonal antibodies (e.g., Rituximab)
- Radiation therapy for localized disease
- Stem cell transplantation in relapsed or high-risk cases
- Emerging role of CAR-T cell therapy in resistant lymphomas
Myeloma
- Drug therapy: proteasome inhibitors, immunomodulatory drugs, monoclonal antibodies, steroids
- Stem cell transplantation for eligible patients
- Supportive care: bone-strengthening agents, treatment of kidney problems, infection control, pain management
- Maintenance therapy to prolong remission
Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS)
- Supportive care: blood transfusions, iron chelation, antibiotics
- Disease-modifying drugs: hypomethylating agents (azacitidine, decitabine), immunosuppressive therapy
- Growth factors (EPO, G-CSF) to improve blood counts
- Allogeneic stem cell transplantation is the only potentially curative option, used in younger/high-risk patients
Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPN)
- Polycythemia Vera & Essential Thrombocythemia: phlebotomy, low-dose aspirin, cytoreductive therapy (e.g., hydroxyurea)
- Myelofibrosis: JAK inhibitors (e.g., ruxolitinib), transfusions, and in select patients, stem cell transplantation
- CML: tyrosine kinase inhibitors (imatinib and newer generations) are the mainstay
Careful monitoring for transformation to advanced disease stages