Leukemia Cancer Radiotherapy

Leukemia can affect anybody from a newborn to an elderly person;basically any person can develop leukemia in their life, especially if the disease runs in the family. Leukemia is projected to affect about 44,000 new people this year, and about 21,000 are expected to lose their battle against the disease. However, the death rates have been decreasing in the last ten years, and part of this is due to the effectiveness of leukemia cancer radiotherapy and other treatments. In addition, patients who are suffering from other illnesses, such as bone marrow failure, are likely to develop leukemia as well.

Risks Associated With Leukemia

Even though some patients develop leukemia due to family history, this risk accounts only a small percentage of the total cases seen each year. There are other risks factors that influence or facilitate the development of leukemia, such as:

• Eating habits – while poor eating habits alone are not likely to cause leukemia, the lack of proper vitamins and nutrients can certainly accelerate the development of abnormal cells. For example, the lack of folic acid can cause the chromosomes to break, leaving the DNA vulnerable.
• Smoking–chemicals found in cigarettes are a direct cause of leukemia, especially benzene.
• Viruses–some viruses like human T cell leukemia virus can develop leukemia.
• Age–a grand majority of leukemia patients are over 50 years of age, which means it’s more likely for an older patient to develop the illness.

Advantages of Leukemia Cancer Radiotherapy

Perhaps the majority of people are more familiar with chemotherapy because it’s fairly newer than radiotherapy. Despite the fact that they are both highly effective, there surely are differences between them, and leukemia cancer radiotherapy has its advantages. Some of the most noticeable advantages of leukemia cancer radiotherapy are the following:

• The patient doesn’t feel any type of pain or discomfort during the session
• Every session is quick and can be done in an outpatient visit
• In contrast with chemotherapy, leukemia cancer radiotherapy targets only a specific area and not the entire body, minimalizing the chances of damaging healthy cells
• There are fewer side effects associated with leukemia cancer radiotherapy

Keep in mind that only your specialist or oncologist isallowed to decide with you,which treatment is best for your condition and for the type of cancer that you are dealing with.

Maintaining Quality of Life

Certainly, having to deal with leukemia is no easy task; apart from the emotional stress that you will face, there are other aspects involved, such as financial burden. However, if you are capable of choosing a well-known facility that counts with a top-notch leukemia cancer radiotherapy programthings should move a little smoother for you. The costs for leukemia cancer radiotherapy vary from one facility to the other, especially if they are located in different states. Be sure to check with your insurance to see if they cover the expenses related to leukemia cancer radiotherapy, and if they do, inquire about the facilities or clinics that are part of their preferred network.