Introduction

Welcome to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center's program on leukemia.

This program is for people who have been diagnosed with leukemia and those who are still in the diagnostic stage. The information here will help patients to understand what is going on in their bodies, how this disease is diagnosed and treated, and how to work with a doctor to plan a course of treatment.

A diagnosis of leukemia can be overwhelming and a bit frightening. There are many issues to think about and decisions that must be made. What is leukemia? What are the differences in the various forms of the disease? What kind of treatment is available? Where does one find a doctor experienced in treating this disease, or a counselor who can help with emotional issues?

This program will help patients find the answers to those questions. Included are discussions of how leukemia develops in the body, how the various forms of the disease differ from one another, and the options for treatment. Also included are ideas to help people find their way through the health care system, discussions of some of the non-medical issues that might arise, and lists of the many resources available for cancer patients.