Leukemia

If you have a slow-growing cancer like chronic lymphocytic leukemia, your doctor may suggest watchful waiting instead of starting treatment right away. You’ll see us for tests, but you won’t take medicine unless your disease starts to change or cause problems. You could live well for years this way. Choosing watchful waiting doesn’t mean we’re ignoring your cancer. It means we’re saving treatment for when you really need it.

To learn what drugs could work best for you, we might recommend genetic testing of your cancer. Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) looks closely at your chromosomes to find changes linked to certain types of leukemia. It uses special dyes to spot missing, swapped, or repeated pieces of DNA. By understanding your leukemia at the genetic level, your care team can tailor treatment to you.

Because leukemia cells spread throughout your blood and bone marrow, you need treatment that can travel everywhere in your body. Chemotherapy does that, so it’ll likely be part of your care plan. This powerful medicine targets cancer cells wherever they are. Count on Cone Health’s chemotherapy team to help reduce side effects and keep you as comfortable as possible during treatment.

If your leukemia cells have certain genetic changes, you may receive targeted therapy. These medicines target specific changes in or on cancer cells to stop from growing and spreading. Because these medicines are more precise than chemo, you may have fewer side effects. You have access to these drugs because Cone Health doctors work to bring you the latest treatments in Alamance, Guilford, Randolph, and Rockingham counties.

Immunotherapy (biotherapy) uses your body’s own immune system to fight leukemia. You might get lab-made proteins, like monoclonal antibodies, that attach to leukemia cells so your immune system can find and destroy them. Immunotherapies can bring powerful results, even if other treatments stop working.

If leukemia spreads to your brain, spine, or other areas, your doctors may use radiation to target those specific spots. Treatments usually last just a few minutes, though you may need several sessions. Treatments can cause side effects such as skin irritation or dermatitis, which may be uncomfortable for some patients. Rest assured; you’ll receive excellent care at Cone Health. We’ve earned accreditation and certification for safe, high-quality radiation therapy.

Your care team may talk with you about clinical trials as another treatment option. These studies research new approaches to care to see how well they work. If there’s a trial for your type of leukemia, you’ll talk to our research staff. We’ll discuss your eligibility and the risks and benefits of joining. Cone Health takes part in clinical trials in your community, so you can stay close to home for these innovative treatments.