THERAPY METHODS:
With the changing of the code of main blood cells in bone marrow; to stop proliferation of the Immature blood cells which are called blast and then to provide production of the normal blood component are the main principles of treatment of leukemia illness.
Malignant blast cells are proliferated rapidly. According to the maturity and proliferation time, divide into various phases: 1) Mitosis 2) G-phase 3) S-phase. The purpose of the treatment is to kill all the blasts in whole phases as part of a programme by using the drugs with different effects for a long time.
4 phases take place in the treatment approximately for 3 years:- LOADING THERAPY (Big Hammer operation):
5-6 drugs which are different from each other injects into the vein at the same time. The purpose is killing of the malignant cells in 2 months, rapidly. Friend union attack with guns against to the enemy forces which are occupying our body. Almost an Independence War was started.
2- REINFORCEMENT THERAPY (Jet effect):
Panic stricken, unruly malignant cells are immediately wrapped with an armour, hide and studying for proliferation to prevent and resist themselves. Our organism’s armed force with Friend arm attack to the enemy with guns from the air, by land and from the sea. In this 3-4 months period continued therapy very high doses of drugs which have different effects from each other are injected into the vein.
In the meantime, unfortunately useful cells in our organism are also died, hair is lost, and lesions are appeared in mouth.
3-PREVENTIVE THERAPY (Intelligence):
This therapy prevents beginning of the function of sunk, divided, dispersed enemy cells in bone marrow which are insidiously settled in brain, nervous system and reproductive system. In some conditions radiotherapy (radiation therapy) can be applied. They assume an Intelligence agency role.
4- PERMANENCE THERAPY WHÝCH ÝS NOT ALLOWED FOR THE REORGANISATION:
The purpose is to prevent reproduction of the completely eradicated enemy cells in our organism. Until the last blast is eradicated, all the enemy cells are found one by one and their disintegration is provided. It is continued approximately for 2.5-3 years.
CAN BE REPEATED?
At the end of the total 3-3.5 years therapy, completely recovery ratio is supplied up to 85%. After the treatment; children who are followed by only controls continue their normal experience as all their healthy friends and brother’s /sister’s. There is a slight probability that a person who recovered from leukemia can have leukemia again, just as any one else. Also in this situation similar treatments and/or bone marrow transplantation can be applied.
TREATMENT PROGRAMMES:
Selected drugs, their administration time and doses for chemotherapy will be determined after long experiments and applications. Many scientists joined into these studies from Turkey, too. And these studies are explained and submitted in hematology reviews and congress. In academic organisation, success or failure of the treatment is followed and the results are evaluated. The faults are evaluated in international and national scientific committees and new drugs, new doses or different methods put into practice.
CHEMOTHERAPY DRUGS:
Unfortunately, all of the specific drugs for treatment of leukemia are supplied from abroad. Extremely difficult and accurate studies should be carried out for the application of the subject drugs; such as they should not be decayed during shipment; they should be diluted in appropriate conditions; they should be protected from heat and light; they should be applied in required time and speed and they should not be loosed out of the vein.
COST:
Drugs for treatment of leukemia are extremely expensive. 1 box prices is approximately 100 million Turkish Lira. Hundreds of drug bottles are used. If catheters, kit, serum, blood products’ cost calculated, treatment’s cost will be hundred billion Turkish Lira.
CHILDREN WITH LEUKEMIA AND THEIR PARENTS’ PROBLEMS:
• Keep away from school
• To be sidelined by friends
• Society thought that these children have no change for recovery
• Because of the mask, people thought that disease is an infectious disease
• Children do not join into social activities (cinema, theatre, …)
• Children must be kept out of the food which they like.
• No blood is found
• Lack of money
• The parents who want to stay as paid companion for their children in hospital want permission from their works very often. Due to these situations, some of the parents are dismissed from their jobs.
