Leukemia is not an "incurable disease", active treatment improves survival rate
2023-10-30
Does having leukemia mean having a terminal illness? Huang Rui, Deputy Chief Physician of the Hematology Department of the Pearl River Hospital of Southern Medical University, recently stressed that leukemia is not an incurable disease, which is quite different from the information always conveyed in films and television works. We need to have a correct and objective understanding of leukemia in order to better manage and treat it, "Huang Rui said. Once the disease occurs, as long as patients actively regulate treatment and adjust their mindset, the 5-year survival rate will exceed 50%. Leukemia is a common malignant tumor, and its incidence rate ranks sixth among malignant tumors. Among its subtypes, acute myeloid leukemia is the most common. With China's entry into an aging society and the improvement of grassroots diagnosis and treatment methods, the number of elderly patients is increasing, and the age of onset is on the rise. After the diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia, the key purpose of treatment is to eliminate abnormal leukemia cells and restore the balance of normal blood cells in the bone marrow. For a long time, "chemotherapy+transplantation" has been the best choice for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia, and when actively treated, the 5-year survival rate is still acceptable. However, it causes significant harm to the human body and has more complications, making it more suitable for young patients. For elderly patients with poor basic conditions, alternative methods are needed. How should elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia be treated? Huang Rui stated that with the launch of new targeted drugs, complications are reduced and remission rates are higher, providing elderly patients with more opportunities to receive transplants. Previously, acute myeloid leukemia patients with relapsed and refractory FLT3 gene mutations may only have a chemotherapy response rate of 20% to 30%. Now, with a single targeted inhibitor drug, the response rate can reach 54%. Combined with other targeted drugs, the response rate can reach 75%, providing an opportunity for subsequent transplantation, "Huang Rui said. Currently, some people's understanding of acute myeloid leukemia is still stagnant in the "incurable" stage, which urgently needs to be changed. Huang Rui repeatedly emphasized that compared to the harm of the disease itself, what is even more terrifying is the lack of correct understanding of leukemia. Targeted drugs are currently in the exploration and trial stage, transitioning from routine use in the elderly to use in young patients. Huang Rui stated that for patients who have undergone chemotherapy and have relapsed, selecting one or more targeted drugs based on gene mutation results is much more effective than traditional chemotherapy. However, transplantation remains an irreplaceable and important choice for many patients. The transplantation technology is quite mature now, and tertiary hospitals can generally carry out it with a high success rate. Huang Rui pointed out that transplantation is only a means to help patients, and if necessary, transplantation should be accepted as soon as possible. When white blood patients receive transplantation, they need to "enter" and "exit", that is, after transplantation, they will be admitted to the laminar flow ward, and after improvement, they will leave the laminar flow ward. After the patient enters the warehouse, chemotherapy is performed first, followed by peripheral stem cell transplantation. After the stem cells have fully grown, they can leave the warehouse for a total of 3 to 4 weeks. Currently, bone marrow transplantation has been largely replaced by peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. If everything goes smoothly, immunosuppressive agents can be stopped within 6 to 9 months after stem cell transplantation. After a 3-year follow-up without recurrence, it is basically cured. From what we have observed, most elderly patients under the age of 65 can tolerate transplantation. "Huang Rui said, it is worth mentioning that now in medical insurance
Edit：GuoGuo Responsible editor：FangZhiYou
Source：gmw.cn
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