A review on the chemical versus alternative treatments of Leukemia

Common treatments for Leukemia, such as chemotherapy, have played a key role in the treatment of this life-threatening disease. However, they are associated with many side effects such as cardiovascular diseases, ocular diseases, lung toxicity, and endocrine dysfunction. The adverse effects of the common treatments are aggressive for elderly patients and patients who are unable to tolerate the treatments, resulting in their lower survival rate. Thus, more than ever before, Leukemia patients are now turning to complementary and alternative treatments. The objective of this study was to review recent literature to compare common and traditional treatments based on efficacy and associated side effects. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are associated with many side effects, as is stem cell transplantation, which often accompanies these two treatments. Not many studies have been done on alternative, traditional treatments; however, a small number of studies showed that traditional medicine are effective in vitro. Thus, more scientific studies and clinical trials are needed to be done on alternative treatments to find the efficacy, potency and safety of their associated medicines and procedures. As medicinal concepts of the alternative, traditional treatments usually differ from the common medical treatments—although they both have the same curative goal—greater research and communication between traditional medical researchers and practitioners in alternative therapeutic traditions may lead to new and effective medicine with fewer side effects.