Treatments for Benzene Diseases
Diseases that have been linked with toxic benzene exposure include acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) and aplastic anemia. These benzene diseases can be fatal if not diagnosed and treated in a timely manner.
Treatments for Acute Myelogenous Leukemia
The primary treatment for acute myelogenous leukemia is two phase chemotherapy:
Remission induction chemotherapy is administered over the course of a week and is designed to rid the body of all visible leukemia cells. There are two drugs that are typically used during the remission induction phase of AML chemotherapy. An antimetabolite chemotherapy drug called cytarabine (ara-C) is often used in conjunction with an anthracycline like daunorubicin or idarubicin. On rare occasions, doctors may decide to introduce another antimetabolite drug, 6-thioguanine, in effort to fully combat AML.
Additionally, drugs like Neupogen and Leukine may be administered in order to stimulate the growth and development of normal white blood cells. Such drugs have proven capable of improving patient response to chemotherapy.
Remission induction chemotherapy has a 65% chance of success in killing visible leukemia cells. Remission induction chemotherapy rarely destroys all leukemia cells, requiring the need for additional chemotherapeutic treatment.
Post-remission / consolidation chemotherapy is designed to kill any lingering leukemia cells that survived / returned following induction chemotherapy. Post-remission chemotherapy treatments typically involve the use of cytarabine (ara-C) administered in high-doses over the course of a five day period. In addition to post-remission chemotherapy treatments, stem cell transplantation may be administered to help eradicate any remaining leukemia cells while preventing future AML relapse.
For patients under the age of 60, 40% show no signs of AML following post-remission chemotherapy (15% for patients over 60).
Treatments for Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia
The goal of CML treatment is the reduction of leukemic cell growth within the bone marrow. CML treatments vary dependent on whether a case is in the chronic phase or blast crisis phase of the disease.
Treatments for chronic phase CML traditionally yield better results because the disease is in a relatively dormant stage. Chemotherapeutic treatments can be administered as the sole mode of therapy, or they can be used in conjunction with a number of other modalities including biological therapy (interferon treatments) and donor stem cell transplantation (allogeneic transplantation).
Recently, a new drug called Imatinib, a selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has had some success in treating CML patients in the chronic phase of the disease. The efficacy of combination chemotherapy, in which Imatinib is combined with a more traditional drug like interferon, is currently being evaluated.
Treatments for the blast crisis phase of CML include the use of high-dose chemotherapy followed by a bone marrow transplant. Oftentimes, more than one chemotherapeutic agent is used and the treatment may simply serve as palliation. Patients suffering from blast crisis CML are more likely to experience a relapse than chronic sufferers even if treatment is an initial success.
Treatments for Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia
Treatments for acute lymphocytic leukemia can be effective if the cancer is diagnosed early enough. Although this lymphocytic brand of leukemia is slightly different than the aforementioned myelogenous brand, the modalities used to treat both are relatively similar.
It is rare that a case of ALL is completely eradicated following treatment. As such, the realistic aim of most treatments is to produce what is called a "lasting remission," in which a patient has fewer than 5% of lymphoblastic cancer cells within the bone marrow. Treatments for ALL incorporate modalities traditionally used to combat a variety of cancers, including chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Additionally, bone marrow / stem cell transplants are often used to treat patients suffering from ALL.
Treatments for Aplastic Anemia
There are a number of treatments for aplastic anemia sufferers, most of which involve bolstering blood cell deficiencies. The benzene-related bone marrow disease can manifest in a mild, moderate or severe manner. When diagnosed at an early stage, aplastic anemia can be successfully eradicated.
Blood transfusions are commonly used as treatments for aplastic anemia. Although blood transfusions cannot serve as a curative measure, they can assist in palliation, treating the many symptoms associated with blood cell deficiencies.
Red blood cells are the easiest of the three (white blood cells and platelets being the other two) types to transfuse because of the multitude of available donors. Red blood cell transfusions can help to alleviate anemia and fatigue caused by a lack of red blood cell production. Transfused red blood cells remain in the blood for up to a month.
Platelet transfusions can be more difficult to accommodate than red blood cell transfusions. Platelets are removed from donors via a process called hemapheresis, a circulatory technique that allows various components to be removed from large volumes of blood.
White blood cell transfusions are more difficult because white blood cells are relatively short lived. As such, white blood cell transfusions serve little purpose unless the patient engages in repeated treatments. Rather than transfuse white blood cells, patients will often be treated with certain antibiotics designed to fend off any potential infection or virus that the body cannot protect itself from.
Bone marrow transplantation has been increasingly used as a curative treatment for aplastic anemia sufferers. Diseased bone marrow is replaced by healthy donor marrow. Young patients in relatively good health who undergo a bone marrow transplant have a 50% rate of cure.
Benzene Lawsuits
It is the responsibility of employers operating facilities that deal with benzene or benzene-laden materials to ensure the safety of their employees by taking measures to minimize exposure. Failure to take such measures is deemed negligent and grounds for legal action. Benzene lawsuits are designed to provide compensation for pain, suffering and legal expenses incurred as a result of an employer's negligence. Contact a benzene lawyer to get additional information about your rights as a benzene disease victim. Lawyers specializing in benzene exposure litigation can also help you in cases whereby a family member has died due to benzene-related disease. In addition, many benzene wrongful death and personal injury attorneys may work in firms that also specialize in family law to help resolve issues arising from cases whereby victims are survived by young children.
MediaFact is an important online resource about drug side effects related to Stevens Johnson Syndrome and Primary Pulmonary Hypertension.