Leukemia Treatment Options

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Fred Hutch Cancer Center offers comprehensive care for leukemia, including rare subtypes. We offer advanced leukemia treatments and new options available only through clinical trials.

The most common treatments for leukemia are chemotherapy and blood and marrow transplant (also called stem cell transplant). Often, patients have a combination of treatments. But not everyone needs all of these. We’ll tailor your treatment to you.

Leukemia Care Tailored to You

You and your family are our top priority. At Fred Hutch Cancer Center, we offer comprehensive and compassionate care — personalized to you. You'll have access to the latest treatment options, clinical trials and supportive care services.

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How We Treat Leukemia at Fred Hutch

Different leukemia subtypes respond to treatment in different ways. Treatment for leukemia may include chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, or a blood or marrow transplant. You may receive a combination of these therapies. Learn more about chemotherapy and blood or marrow transplant for leukemia.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy uses medicines to kill fast-growing cells (like cancer cells) or to keep them from dividing (which is how cancers grow). It is a systemic treatment. This means the medicines will travel throughout your body and destroy cancer cells wherever they may be.

Read About Chemotherapy for Leukemia

Blood and Marrow Transplant (Stem Cell Transplant)

A blood and marrow transplant, or BMT, is also known as a stem cell transplant. Our depth and breadth of knowledge in BMT allows us to treat both common and very rare leukemias, and help manage any complications that might arise, helping you get better faster.

Learn About BMT for Leukemia

Why Choose Fred Hutch for Leukemia Treatment

At Fred Hutch, we understand this may be one of the most intense and challenging experiences you and your family ever go through. We are here to provide the care you need.  

Team-Based Care from Specialists

Fred Hutch has hematologist-oncologists, advanced practice providers and pathologists who specialize in leukemia. We offer the most advanced diagnostic, treatment and recovery programs. Along with treating your cancer, we also offer a range of services to support you and your caregiver. This is part of how we take care of you — not just your disease. From registered dietitians to Spiritual Health clinicians to social workers, our experts know how to care for people with leukemia.

Treatment Tailored to You

We view treatment as a collaborative effort. Your Fred Hutch physicians will explain all your options. We’ll recommend a treatment plan to get you the best results based on the stage of your cancer and your overall health.

Clinical Trials to Improve Outcomes

Many of our patients receive promising therapies by taking part in leukemia clinical trials. These research studies are done by physician-scientists from Fred Hutch and UW Medicine. They test new treatments or new ways to use current treatments. Every advance in cancer treatment in recent years has come out of clinical trials. Through the Fred Hutch/University of Washington/Seattle Children’s Cancer Consortium, we typically have more than 750 active clinical trials, which means more treatment options for people like you.

Leukemia Treatment FAQ

The most common treatments for leukemia are chemotherapy and blood or marrow transplant (stem cell transplant). Often, patients have a combination of treatments. We’ll tailor your treatment to you.

Fred Hutch offers all standard treatment for leukemia. Our patients also have access to newer options or treatment combinations that you can only get through clinical trials.

Fred Hutch researchers are always looking for better ways to treat leukemia. We are doing clinical trials of new drugs and drug combinations to treat different types of leukemia. Our scientists are also developing new methods to tell which types are likely to respond best to which treatments.

Learn more about leukemia research.