Blood Cancer Treatment

The main types of blood cancer are leukemia, multiple myeloma and lymphoma. These types of cancers are produced in the bone marrow or the lymphatic tissues of the body. They have an effect on the way the body creates blood and offers protection from new diseases. Since there have been new successful radiation and chemotherapy treatments developed, the survival rates for people have increased impressively. No more than 4 percent of childhood leukemia patients survived in 1960, but because of the advancements in treatments almost 80 percent survive today, according to Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Chemotherapy and Radiation

During the past few decades there have been many advancements in the way that blood cancer is treated. Lymphomas, leukemias and multiple myelomas are generally treated with chemotherapy and radiation therapy. These types of treatments are usually quite successful.

Stem Cell Transplants

Stem cell transplants are becoming increasingly popular for the treatment of blood-related cancers. Used more frequently to treat lymphoma and leukemia, this procedure includes extremely high quantities of chemotherapy and radiation followed by infusions of stem cells that are taken from either the marrow or the blood of a donor. This is a high-risk procedure, and there is a chance of death. The success rate is much higher in younger patients, and the treatment is also most effective when used in 

the early stages of the disease.

Autologous Transplants

According to Johns Hopkins Hospital, three different types of stem cell transplants are used: Syngeneic transplants, autologous transplants and allogeneic transplants. The difference is that with an autologous transplant, the stem cells that are used have been given by the patient themselves prior to their receiving the chemotherapy or radiation. They are frozen while awaiting transfer.

Peripheral Transplant

With a peripheral transplant, the patient is still the donor but the stem cells are not harvested until after chemotherapy. They are then collected from a machine where growth factors are added. Once the stem cells have been treated, they are put back in the patient, substituting healthy cells for the cells that were ruined. This is a more common procedure and normally is combined with phases of chemotherapy.

Allogeneic Transplant

With an allogeneic transplant, the stem cells are provided by someone else, usually a parent or a sibling. This is because genetically, the person must match the patient. This procedure is fairly risky, and the side effects can be fatal, because there is a risk of rejection.

Biological Therapy

Using unique immune system cells to encourage the body's immune system to destroy cancer cells, biological therapy is another possible option. There are several natural substances, also known as biological agents, inside of the human body that change the manner in which the immune system responds to cancer. It is possible now for a number of the biological agents to be replicated in laboratories. Side effects can be severe. Biological therapy is still experimental.