Treatment of Leukaemia is:-

Appeared in: AIIMS Manglagiri NO - 2019

Explanation

Chemotherapy is the mainstay of treatment for leukemia, a systemic cancer of the blood and bone marrow.
It involves using cytotoxic drugs that travel throughout the bloodstream to kill cancer cells, which is necessary for a disease that is not localized to one area.
The goal of chemotherapy is to induce remission (eliminate signs of the disease) and prevent the cancer from returning.
Other treatments like radiation, targeted therapy, and stem cell transplant may be used in combination, but chemotherapy is a fundamental component.

Option A: Blood transfusion is a form of supportive care, not a primary treatment. It replaces red blood cells or platelets to manage symptoms like anemia and bleeding caused by leukemia or its treatment.
Option B: Ergot therapy, using ergot alkaloids, is completely unrelated to leukemia treatment. It is primarily used for managing migraines and controlling postpartum bleeding.
Option C: Surgery is a local treatment and is ineffective as a primary therapy for leukemia, which is a systemic (widespread) disease. It cannot remove cancer cells that are circulating in the blood and bone marrow.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Primary treatment modalities for leukemia helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
Nurses are central to managing patients undergoing chemotherapy, which includes administering cytotoxic drugs, monitoring for and managing severe side effects like nausea, myelosuppression, and mucositis.
Patient education is a critical nursing role. Patients on chemotherapy are immunocompromised and need to be taught how to prevent infections, recognize signs of complications, and manage their symptoms at home.
What if? If the patient had Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) with the Philadelphia chromosome, the primary treatment would be a specific type of targeted therapy (Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors like Imatinib), often replacing traditional chemotherapy as the first-line option.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core of the question: it asks for the treatment of leukemia.
Recall the pathophysiology of leukemia: it's a cancer of the blood, meaning it's a systemic disease, not a solid tumor in one location.
Evaluate the options based on this understanding. A systemic disease requires a systemic treatment that can reach cancer cells throughout the body.
Analyze the options: Surgery is a local treatment. Blood transfusion is supportive, not curative. Ergot therapy is for unrelated conditions.
Conclude that chemotherapy, a systemic drug therapy, is the most logical and standard primary treatment for a systemic cancer like leukemia.

Concept Tested & Keywords

QAi3ukb36Q0uTEtBSZvu6W

E6 Medicine Davidson Principles Practice 24e p. 977-979

Practise the full AIIMS Manglagiri NO - 2019

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.