Treatment

The treatment of eosinophilic leukemia depends on various factors, including the patient’s overall health. In many cases, a team of doctors will work with the patient to determine the best treatment plan.

According to the National Cancer Institute, the best treatment for eosinophilic leukemia remains unclear. Patients are encouraged to consider clinical trials as a treatment option when making treatment plan decisions. A clinical trial is a research study to test a new treatment to prove it is safe, effective, and possibly better than standard treatment. Your doctor can help you review all treatment options. For more information, visit the Clinical Trials section.

As explained in the Overview, eosinophilic leukemia is classified as a myeloproliferative disorder. General treatments for myeloproliferative disorders include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, steroids, and stem cell/bone marrow transplantation. Usually, myeloproliferative disorders cannot be cured, but treatment helps to control the symptoms.

Descriptions of the most common treatment options for myeloproliferative disorders are listed below.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. Systemic chemotherapy is delivered through the bloodstream, targeting cancer cells throughout the body. Chemotherapy is given by a medical oncologist, a doctor who specializes in treating cancer with medication, or a hematologist, a doctor who specializes in blood diseases. Some people may receive chemotherapy in their doctor's office; others may go to the hospital. A chemotherapy regimen (schedule) usually consists of a specific number of cycles given over a specific time.

Chemotherapy used in treating eosinophilic leukemia include hydroxyurea (Droxia, Hydrea), cyclophosphamide (Clafen, Cytoxan, Neosar), and vincristine (Oncovin).

The side effects of chemotherapy depend on the individual and the dose used, but can include fatigue, risk of infection, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, and diarrhea. These side effects usually go away once treatment is finished.

Learn more about chemotherapy and preparing for treatment. The medications used to treat cancer are continually being evaluated. Talking with your doctor is often the best way to learn about the medications prescribed for you, their purpose, and their potential side effects or interactions with other medications. Learn more about your prescriptions by using searchable drug databases.

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy is the use of high-energy x-rays or other particles to kill cancer cells. A doctor who specializes in giving radiation therapy to treat cancer is called a radiation oncologist. The most common type of radiation therapy is called external-beam radiation therapy, which is radiation given from a machine outside the body. When radiation therapy is given using implants, it is called internal radiation therapy or brachytherapy. Radiation therapy for eosinophilic leukemia is generally used as a palliative treatment (care given to improve a patient’s quality of life by treating symptoms and side effects of the cancer or its treatment).

Side effects from radiation therapy may include fatigue, mild skin reactions, upset stomach, and loose bowel movements. Most side effects go away soon after treatment is finished. Learn more about radiation therapy.

Surgery

Surgery to remove the spleen (splenectomy), which also produces white blood cells, may occasionally be performed. A surgical oncologist is a doctor who specializes in treating cancer using surgery.

Learn more about cancer surgery.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy (also called biologic therapy), is designed to boost the body's natural defenses to fight the cancer. It uses materials either made by the body or in a laboratory to bolster, target, or restore immune system function. Recombinant interferon alpha (Alferon N, Roferon-A, Intron A) is a biologic therapy that is occasionally used to treat eosinophilic leukemia. Learn more about immunotherapy.

Targeted therapy

Targeted therapy is a type of treatment that selectively attacks faulty genes or proteins that contribute to cancer growth and development. In many patients with hypereosinophilic syndrome, the leukemic cells have a specific genetic abnormality or mutation that produces an abnormal protein (known as FIP1-like-1/platelet-derived growth factor alpha) that stimulates the cells to grow. Imatinib mesylate (Gleevec) is a drug which inhibits a number of enzymes called tyrosine kinases and can kill abnormal eosinophils by blocking the function of the FIP1-like-1-platelet-derived growth factor alpha protein. Imatinib is more likely to work if this mutation is present; however, if the mutation is not present, there is still a possibility that the disease will respond to the drug. The main side effects of imatinib include swelling around the eyes, leg swelling and cramping, headache, fatigue, rash, and musculoskeletal (joint) pain. Learn more about targeted treatments.

Steroids

Steroid medications are used to control some symptoms of eosinophilic leukemia.

Stem cell transplantation

A stem cell transplant is a medical procedure in which diseased bone marrow is replaced by highly specialized cells, called hematopoietic stem cells. Hematopoietic stem cells are found both in the bloodstream and in the bone marrow. Today, this procedure is more commonly called a stem cell transplant, rather than bone marrow transplant, because blood stem cells are typically what is being transplanted, not the actual bone marrow tissue. Transplantation is a higher-risk procedure and is not used frequently in people with eosinophilic leukemia because it is not a consistently effective treatment for this disease and because many patients with this disease are older and the risks of the procedure are higher. For further information about stem cell transplantation, please refer to the section on bone marrow and stem cell transplantation.

Find out more about common terms used during cancer treatment.