How is chronic myeloid leukemia metastasized to the lung treated?
Disease description:
My father has had chronic myeloid leukemia for many years. During a recent follow-up examination, he was found to have metastatic lung cancer, which has caused me great concern. I would like to ask, how should this be treated?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Qi Zhirong
The treatment regimen for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) metastasized to lung cancer should be determined by comprehensively considering the patient's condition and physical status. Main treatment methods include:
1. Chemotherapy: High-dose chemotherapy may cause side effects in drug-resistant patients, but remains an important approach for treating CML that has metastasized to the lungs. Combination chemotherapy using drugs such as cyclophosphamide and vincristine aims to kill rapidly proliferating cancer cells.
2. Targeted therapy: Blocking cancer cell growth signaling pathways by identifying specific molecular abnormalities, such as using erlotinib, a drug targeting EGFR mutations.
3. Immunotherapy: Enhancing the body's antitumor immunity, for example, using PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor pembrolizumab to relieve the suppressed state of T cells.
During treatment, patients should maintain good nutritional support and adequate rest to enhance physical resistance and promote recovery.
