Chemotherapy
Leukemia is cancer of the blood cells. In a healthy person, healthy blood cells are formed in the bone marrow in a normal, controlled manner. On the other hand, a person with leukemia produces large numbers of abnormal blood cells, usually white blood cells.
Chemotherapy is one of the treatment options in leukemia. There are many routes of administration in chemotherapy, oral (mouth), IV (intravenous), and intrathecal. The oral route is the least invasive but is absorbed by the bloodstream the slowest. When administered intravenously, drugs are absorbed rapidly. The problem with the IV route is that drugs do not reach the central nervous system due to the blood brain barrier. To answer this problem, doctors use another technique in giving chemotherapeutic drugs — the intrathecal route.
As with any other cancer treatments, it is important to consult your doctor to fully understand chemotherapy, including its side effects.