If you are diagnosed with a serious and rare cancer like acute myeloid leukemia, it is essential that you have access to feedback from leukemia experts. Even if your doctor has done everything well and is providing quality care, they may not know everything that they should about acute myeloid leukemia.
In a brief video, which can be found here, Andrew Schorr, who is a two-time cancer survivor, patient advocate, and co-founder of Patient Power, sits down with Dr. Gwen Nichols, who is the Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President at the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). In their conversation, Dr. Nichols explains the ways in which the LLS can provide newly diagnosed patients with the extra resources they need to ensure they are getting top of the line care.
Acute myeloid leukemia is a cancer that affects myeloid blood cells. Cancerous blood cells begin to accumulate at a rapid rate, causing symptoms such as increased risk of infection, easy bruising and bleeding, fatigue, and shortness of breath. There are a number of identified risk factors for acute myeloid leukemia, such as previous blood disorders, ionizing radiation exposure, prior chemotherapy, exposure to benzene, and genetic factors. The primary treatment approach is chemotherapy, though radiation and stem cell transplant are also common methods. It primarily affects the elderly; five year survival rate is quite poor at only 27 percent in the U.S. To learn more about acute myeloid leukemia, click here.
Dr. Nichols says that the LLS can help patients understand the full range of treatments approaches that are available for patients. When a patient is first diagnosed, it is often a stressful and frenetic time in which patients and their families are expected to make many important decisions that could have major consequences. Dr. Nichols says that the LLS can be a critical resource during this time.
The LLS can help patients with a variety of important choices and tasks, such as getting a second medical opinion, childcare during treatment, or information about clinical trials that are testing new therapies. The organization can also help new patients get in touch with cancer survivors to process their experiences and connect your caregivers with renowned acute myeloid leukemia experts. The society has chapters all across the country, so more than likely help is just a phone call away.
To learn more about the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, click here.
