Other Treatments for Leukemia

Biological Therapy

Biological therapy involves using medications or substances made by the body to increase or restore your body's natural defenses against cancer. It is also called immunotherapy. Monoclonal antibodies, interferon, and cancer vaccines are examples of biological therapies used to treat some types of leukemia. Many of these are still in the development and testing stage. If you are interested in finding out whether you might be an appropriate patient to participate in a clinical trial of immunotherapies, you should ask your doctor.

Special Considerations

Discuss the benefits and risks of the various treatments with your doctor.

References

American Cancer Society website. Available at: http://www.cancer.org.

Cecil Textbook of Medicine. 21st ed. W.B. Saunders Company; 2000.

Conn's Current Therapy 2001. 53rd ed. W.B. Saunders Company; 2001.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society website. Available at: http://www.lls.org.

National Cancer Institute website. Available at: http://www.cancer.gov.

Textbook of Primary Care Medicine. 3rd ed. Mosby, Inc.; 2001.

Revision Information

Reviewer: Mohei Abouzied, MD
Review Date: 11/2012
Update Date: 11/26/2012

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.