Leukaemia treatment at GenesisCare

At GenesisCare, we diagnose and treat a wide range of cancers and we understand that this can be a very worrying time for you. Our diagnostic services are first-class, and our commitment is to give you the answers you need, as quickly as possible. It’s important to remember that symptoms are often caused by conditions other than leukaemia. Whatever your diagnosis, we can make sure you get the expert care you need and without delay.

If you’re concerned about potential leukaemia symptoms, we offer fast access to specialist leukaemia tests and diagnostics. We also offer a dedicated Rapid Access Haematology Service at some of our centres. Here you’ll see one of our expert consultant haematologists who specialise in blood and bone marrow cancers. They’ll assess your symptoms and, if necessary, refer you for diagnostic tests such as blood tests, bone marrow aspirate biopsy, and imaging scans (including ultrasound, PET/CT, or CT scans). Appointments are usually available within 24 hours. 

The symptoms of leukaemia are not always noticeable. They are also similar to other illnesses making them difficult to spot. The most common leukaemia symptoms are:

• Fatigue 
• Breathlessness 
• High temperature and sweating 
• Pale skin if you have white skin or greyish skin if you have brown or black skin
• Red or purple spots on your skin 
• Bruising and bleeding 
• Lumps or swelling 
• Pains in your bones or joints 
• Abdominal discomfort  
• Repeated infections

If you have any concerns, you should seek medical advice or book an appointment through our Rapid Access Haematology Service.

Chemotherapy for leukaemia

Chemotherapy uses cytotoxic (anti-cancer) drugs to destroy cancer cells and can be used to treat all four types of leukaemia. Chemotherapy can be delivered either on its own or in combination with other treatments such as leukapheresis which filters excessive white blood cells from the body.

Targeted therapy for leukaemia

Targeted (also called biological) therapies are a specialised group of drugs that are designed to attack or block certain processes in cancer cells that tumours depend on to survive and grow. At GenesisCare, we have the following targeted therapies available for leukaemia patients: 

• Tyrosine kinase inhibitors 
• Bcl–2 inhibitors 
• Hypomethylating agents

Immunotherapy for leukaemia

Immunotherapies work by helping your body’s own immune system to recognise and fight the cancer. This type of treatment is only available for patients with acute lymphoblastic or chronic myeloid leukaemia and includes:

• Interferon alpha 
• CAR-T cell therapy 
• Monoclonal antibodies 

Growth factors for leukaemia

Growth factors are natural compounds that stimulate the bone marrow to produce more white blood cells and stem cells. We offer this treatment alongside chemotherapy and stem cell or bone marrow transplants for leukaemia patients. 

Steroids for leukaemia

Steroids are anti-inflammatory drugs. They can be given on their own to kill leukaemia cells or prescribed alongside chemotherapy to increase the effectiveness of treatment and manage side effects.

Palliative care 

If your cancer has spread to other parts of the body or returned after treatment, it’s called advanced, relapsed or refractory leukaemia. At GenesisCare, you can receive palliative drug treatment for advanced leukaemia to reduce the size and progress of your cancer and ease any symptoms.  

Personalised medicine

For some advanced cancers we use specialist tests, such as liquid biopsy or genomic testing, to understand the genetic make-up of cancer cells. This helps us to identify which drugs are available to work against the particular genetic mutations in a cancer, allowing us to start effective treatment without delay.

Clinical trials

There may be opportunities to access clinical trials for the newest treatments for leukaemia. Clinical trials can be considered a suitable treatment option if you’ve exhausted standard therapies or evidence suggests the trial treatment will be more successful at treating your condition. Your haematologist will discuss these opportunities in more detail with you.  

Drug treatment side effects

No treatment is without side effects. Your doctor will explain these to you depending on your drug treatment, together with the ways your treatment plan and supportive care can help manage or minimise these.

Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) is a modern radiotherapy technique that directs beams of radiation in an arc across the treatment area. Together with surface-guided radiotherapy (SGRT), it’s possible to precisely target areas of cancer, adjusting the beam and intensity of the radiation dose to allow for movements in the body and avoid healthy tissues. Side effects of radiotherapy occur when healthy tissues receive radiation, so using this technique helps to limit the dose to tissues and organs surrounding the tumour. At GenesisCare, we offer VMAT to all eligible leukaemia patients with an enlarged spleen. This is because it’s widely recognised to be the highest standard of care currently available for patients needing this type of radiotherapy.

Total body irradiation (TBI) delivers radiation to your whole body and is used to help kill leukaemia cells in the bone marrow before a bone marrow or stem cell transplant. 

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is available to patients with advanced leukaemia that has spread to the brain or spinal cord. Despite its name, SRS is not surgery. It’s a painless procedure which precisely delivers multiple beams of radiation to brain and spinal tumours, sometimes in a single treatment session.

No treatment is without side effects. Your doctor will explain these to you before you start your course of radiotherapy, together with the ways your treatment plan and supportive care can help manage or minimise these.

Some chronic lymphocytic leukaemia patients find their spleen can increase in size as it fills up with abnormal lymphoid cells. In these cases, surgery is occasionally recommended to remove the enlarged spleen.

Our consultants themselves, or in collaboration with leading haematologists and surgeons who are experts in transplants for blood and bone marrow cancers, will offer these treatments. If your consultant recommends one of these procedures, they can be arranged conveniently at one of our partner hospitals. You can then continue your other treatments at GenesisCare.

No treatment is without side effects. Your doctor will explain these to you, together with the ways your treatment plan and supportive care can help manage or minimise these.

Exercise medicine is a personalised programme of carefully planned and supported physical activity that has been shown to improve outcomes for cancer patients, enhancing quality of life and limiting the impact of cancer, such as by improving strength and reducing fatigue. One of our physiotherapists specialising in exercise for people living with cancer will provide a 12-week programme tailored to your needs and supported by our dedicated GenesisCare Exercise Medicine app. They’ll work closely with you to monitor changes in your health and support you throughout the programme to help you get the best results. This is available at selected GenesisCare centres.

We also offer a wellbeing expert and holistic therapies such as counselling, acupuncture, massage and reflexology through our unique partnership with the Penny Brohn UK charity. This service is available to all ­­­­­bladder cancer patients at any of our 14 UK centres.

Our dedicated cancer centres are convenient and easy-to-access. You can use your private medical insurance, and we’re recognised by all leading insurers.

We are proud that so many patients rate our care as excellent as we help them through their cancer journey. Find out more about the unique experiences of people who have had their cancer diagnosis or treatment at GenesisCare in our patient stories section.