Treatment Options for Plasma Cell Leukemia
The main goal of treating plasma cell leukemia is to reduce the number of cancerous cells in the bone marrow and blood to help achieve complete remission. The first step is induction, which helps lower the number of cancerous cells. Doctors often use targeted therapy drug and other medications for this purpose.
Another common approach is stem cell transplant. This treatment option is suitable for young people with good overall health. Before the procedure, the doctor will use a high dose of chemotherapy to eliminate both cancerous and healthy cells in the bone marrow. Next, stem cells are infused into the bone marrow to replace healthy cells lost during chemotherapy. In general, stem cells can be extracted from other body parts of the patients or from a donor. The latter option is preferred, but not always available. In some cases, your doctor may recommend a tandem stem cell transplant, which means you will get 2 autologous transplants in a row. This could help improve the overall survival rates.
Maintenance therapy is the next step after a stem cell transplant or after induction therapy if the transplant is not suitable for you. The main goal of this treatment option is to help prevent cancerous cells from relapsing or coming back in the future. Your doctor may combine different medications, such as lenalidomide or bortezomib. [7]
