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Leukemia is a type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow. There are two types of 
leukemia, chronic and acute, which are treated differently and have different symptoms. 
Acute leukemia rapidly progresses and needs immediate, aggressive treatment. Chronic 
leukemia can take months or years to show symptoms and may not need immediate treatment but 
will require ongoing monitoring.

The most efficient treatment is the injection of healthy cells from a compatible donor 
inside the bone marrow. It has the highest chances of curing the patients but also the most 
many side-effects. The second therapy method is the targeted therapy with Gleevec but its 
curative potential is not yet well established as it has been available only since 2001. A 
treatment way with benefic results until this time is the immune sustaining Interferon. 
Other possible cures are in course of development but are not yet approved.

Prognosis for Acute Leukemia

Untreated, acute leukemia is usually fatal, often because of complications that result 
from leukemic cells infiltrating into the bone marrow or vital body organs.

With treatment prognosis varies, survival rates in leukemia have risen dramatically in the 
last 40 years with improvements in diagnosis and treatment. Children between 2 and 8 have 
the best survival rate (around 50%) but overall, treatment does induce remission in about 
90% of cases.

To kill all cancerous cells the patient follows a treatment with a very high dose of 
chemotherapy and radiation.All normal bone marrow cells are killed due to the does of 
chemotherapy and radiation.Then the bone marrow is repopulated by the stored stem cells 
which return to the body.To treat disease and also to maintain the immunity of the body 
immunotherapy is used.For the patients with leukemia interferon alfa which is an immune-
system activator produced as a drug for bolstering the immune system of the body is 
successfully used.
[http://www.avastina.com tarceva]