Leucosis treatment in Israel

Treatment of leukemia in Israel involves the use of advanced medical technologies. The latest diagnostic techniques and innovative therapies are used in the country. Medical experts are offering new and innovative treatment options for blood cancer that are not available in most countries.

What is important to know for patients with leukemia and their relatives?

According to the Sheba Medical Center, the effectiveness of treatment of children’s leukemia in Israel is 95%, among adults – 80%.

In Israel, you can receive CAR-T therapy, which is carried out only in a few clinics in the USA and Germany.

Moreover, the cost of treating leukemia in Israel will be cheaper than in American and German specialized centers.

Leukemia (blood cancer) is a malignant disease of the body’s hematopoietic tissues, including the bone marrow and lymphatic system. It involves the rapid growth of abnormal blood cells. This uncontrolled growth occurs in the bone marrow, where most of the body’s blood cells are made. Leukemia cells are usually immature white blood cells (hence the common name leukemia) but some leukemias begin in other types of blood cells.

Doctors classify leukemias based on the type and maturity of the cells from which the abnormal cell clone arises. The severity and prognosis of leukemia depends on this.

In modern oncohematology, there are:

• Acute leukemia. In acute leukemia, abnormal cells multiply rapidly, so the disease progresses quickly and requires immediate, intensive treatment.
• Chronic leukemia. With this type of leukemia, the abnormal cells are less malignant and the disease develops more slowly. Therefore, it requires more active observation and gentle treatment during exacerbation of the disease.

Based on the type of blood cells, leukemias are:

• lymphoblastic (from lymphoid tissue of the bone marrow)
• myeloblastic (from myeloid tissue of the bone marrow).

Most often in children, acute lymphoblastic leukemia occurs, which is the most common childhood cancer. In adults, acute myeloblastic leukemia, chronic lymphoblastic and myeloblastic leukemia are most often diagnosed.

What are the signs of blood cancer? Symptoms of leukemia vary depending on the type of leukemia. Common signs include swollen lymph nodes, especially in the neck and armpits, bone pain, night sweats, weakness, and fatigue. The patient loses weight for no apparent reason and develops red spots on the skin, light bleeding, and bruising. Fever or chills and infections often occur.

How is leukemia treated? Treatment for leukemia may include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and stem cell transplant. The choice of treatment depends on many factors, such as the type of leukemia, its stage, and the patient’s overall health.

Why does the disease appear?

Leukemia leads to impaired maturation and differentiation of hematopoietic precursor cells of leukocytes and their uncontrolled growth. They disseminate (multiple foci) throughout the body in the form of leukemic infiltrates. Failure to promptly treat the disease can lead to the development of complications such as severe infections as a result of prolonged healing of injuries. Excessive internal bleeding leads to death.

The life expectancy of patients with chronic lymphoid leukemia can be up to 3 years with severe, progressive forms, and up to 20-25 years with a relatively favorable course. Acute leukemia is the most dangerous form of the disease, the symptoms of which appear suddenly. In this case, the disease progresses over several weeks.

What happens if leukemia is not treated?

Leukemia leads to impaired maturation and differentiation of hematopoietic precursor cells of leukocytes and their uncontrolled growth. They disseminate (multiple foci) throughout the body in the form of leukemic infiltrates. Failure to promptly treat the disease can lead to the development of complications such as severe infections as a result of prolonged healing of injuries. Excessive internal bleeding leads to death.

The life expectancy of patients with chronic lymphoid leukemia can be up to 3 years with severe, progressive forms, and up to 20-25 years with a relatively favorable course. Acute leukemia is the most dangerous form of the disease, the symptoms of which appear suddenly. In this case, the disease progresses over several weeks.

Israeli doctors use advanced diagnostic technologies to examine patients. This is a comprehensive approach to leukemia research, which involves laboratory tests, tests for tumor markers, PET-CT for a detailed examination of the body, and other high-tech methods.

Protocol methods for diagnosing leukemia include:

• A complete blood count (CBC) is a test that measures the number of different types of cells in the blood. This test can show whether a patient has abnormalities in the number of white or red blood cells or platelets, which may indicate leukemia.
• A microscopic blood test is a test in which a doctor examines a patient’s blood sample under a microscope. This test can show whether a patient has abnormal cells in their blood.
• Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy are procedures in which a doctor removes a sample of bone marrow from a patient’s bone. These samples are then examined under a microscope to identify cancer cells.
• Flow cytometry is a technology that uses a laser beam to identify specific types of cells in a sample. This method can be used to detect cancer cells in the blood or bone marrow.

Treatment of blood cancer in Israel allows doctors to choose for the patient the most suitable set of methods. Among the most current techniques that are used in leading clinics:

• Chemotherapy with drugs of the latest generations. Chemotherapy is the main treatment for leukemia. For this purpose, special drugs are used that destroy atypical cells. Patients who undergo chemotherapy treatment for blood cancer in Israel usually do not have significant side effects.
• Targeted therapy. It focuses on specific abnormalities present in cancer cells. These drugs can block signals that tell cancer cells to grow and multiply. The method is suitable for the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia and chronic myeloid leukemia.
• Immunotherapy. It involves using the patient’s immune system to fight cancer. This may include the use of monoclonal antibodies or CAR-T therapy.
• Radiation therapy. Radiotherapy for acute and chronic leukemia is used only in certain situations. For example, in the case of neuroleukemia, a damage to the brain and spinal cord in acute leukemia, in the case of a sharp enlargement of the spleen in chronic lymphoblastic leukemia, when preparing a patient for a bone marrow transplant.
• Bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Bone marrow transplantation is performed from the patient himself (autologous) and from a donor (autogenous).

Oncohematologists and other highly specialized specialists in Israeli clinics undertake the treatment of patients of all age groups.

Treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Israel may include various methods such as high-dose chemotherapy, intensive chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and bone marrow (stem cell) allotransplantation.

Treatment of leukemia in a child in Israel includes induction chemotherapy. It is intense and lasts about one month. The pediatric oncologist then decides to continue treatment with bone marrow transplantation or consolidation chemotherapy to secure remission. According to clinics, the effectiveness of treatment of leukemia in children in Israel is 95%.

Radiation therapy. Radiotherapy for acute and chronic leukemia is used only in certain situations. For example, in the case of neuro-leukemia, damage to the brain and spinal cord in acute leukemia, in the case of a sharp enlargement of the spleen in chronic lymphoblastic leukemia, when preparing a patient for a bone marrow transplant.

If the patient’s bone marrow is used, it is collected before the start of preparatory procedures.

Donor material is taken from a vein in the arm and it is passed through a special machine that separates the hematopoietic stem cells. The blood is then returned to the donor through a vein in the other arm. This procedure is safe and does not require anesthesia. It takes several hours, and the stem cells are restored within 2 weeks.

How does BMT from a donor work?

Donor bone marrow is processed and frozen at low temperatures until transplantation. Then the material is introduced into the patient’s body by intravenous infusion and it gradually enters the bone sections. The engraftment process is long and can take 3-4 weeks. During this time, there are risks of complications for a weakened body. Until the bone marrow is fully engrafted, the patient remains vulnerable to infection and receives antibiotics and other medications to prevent graft rejection.

Bone marrow transplantation is the main method of combating leukemia with a significant level of damage. After the operation, there is a long recovery period. Israeli doctors implement special programs for patients to prevent relapses.

The latest medical technologies are actively used to treat leukemia in Israel. Doctors have developed donor-recipient compatibility parameters that facilitate the postoperative period during transplantation. New-generation drugs ensure rapid engraftment of the transplanted material and the absence of rejection and complications. The time to find a donor is very short since large Israeli clinics have specialists who deal with this process all over the world.

At the Ikhilov Medical Center, the oncohematology department has a high level of leukemia treatment so doctors take on even the most advanced cases.

Treatment of blood cancer in Israel is carried out using innovative genetic engineering. This method is an innovative and effective solution for patients with a life expectancy of only two years. CAR-T technology, or chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, boosts a patient’s immune system to fight leukemia. According to oncologists, more than 90% of 74 patients treated at Hadassah Clinic achieved complete remission.

The CAR-T cell therapy procedure includes several stages:

Leukapheresis. During this preparatory stage, white blood cells are collected from a patient with blood cancer using a special procedure. They are then frozen and sent to a laboratory to obtain CAR-T cells.

Gene transfer. An inactive virus, the material of which has been expanded with a special gene, is injected into T cells. The T cell DNA takes on the genetic material of the virus and begins producing a protein (chimeric antigen receptor) against CD19, which appears on the cell surface. From now on, these cells are called CAR-T. This protein acts as an “antenna” that allows CAR-T cells to recognize and destroy a patient’s cancer cells.

Reproduction and quality control. CAR-T cells are checked for quality.

Preparatory chemotherapy. Before therapy begins, most of the patient’s T cells are destroyed with chemotherapy to create a better environment for the CAR-T cells.

CAR-T cell infusion. Genetically modified CAR-T cells are injected into the patient’s bloodstream. They attach to cancer cells and destroy them. These living cells continue to multiply in the body and provide long-term protection against blood cancer.

Innovative CAR-T therapy was developed at Hadassah, the largest clinic in Israel. The revolutionary treatment for leukemia was created in collaboration with Professor Cyrille Cohen, head of the Laboratory of Immunology and Immunotherapy at Bar-Ilan University.

Targeted therapy is one of the traditional methods of treating leukemia in Israel. To do this, they use specialized drugs that target specific targets in atypical cells. Unlike chemotherapy, targeted therapy is more precise and less toxic to the body.

Modern targeted therapy can even be used to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Israel.

The choice of a specific drug depends on the individual characteristics of each patient and can only be determined after a thorough diagnosis.

Targeted therapy is used alone or in combination with other treatments such as radiation therapy.

Many factors influence how much leukemia treatment costs in Israel. One of the key ones is the type and stage of the disease. Different forms of leukemia require different combinations of treatments, which may vary in cost and duration of use.

Another important factor is the choice of clinic and doctor. Prices vary depending on the status of the hospital and the experience of the hematologists. Leukemia treatment in Israel will be cheaper in public medical centers than in private ones.

As well, the cost of treatment may be affected by additional procedures and examinations that are necessary for accurate diagnosis and selection of the most effective treatment method. In addition, the total cost of treatment will depend on the length of stay in the clinic and the need for additional care and rehabilitation after therapy and BMT.

For leukemia treatment in Israel, prices are determined individually for each patient. Examples of the cost of leukemia treatment in Israel and related procedures:

• the second opinion from a leading oncologist or oncohematologist is about $700;
• PET-CT diagnostics is from $2000;
• bone marrow biopsy is about $5000;
• radiation therapy using the latest generation device is from $9,000 per course;
• immunotherapy is from $60,000.

Israeli clinics and doctors have many advantages over hospitals in the former CIS countries. Oncohematologists carry out detailed diagnostics and draw up an individual treatment plan for acute leukemia in Israel for each patient.

Experts Medical specialists most often received the following information about leukemia treatment in Israel from patients’ reviews:

• individual approach taking into account the age and general health of the person;
• the use of modern treatment methods that are not available at the place of residence;
• high effectiveness of treatment: complete recovery or achievement of long-term remission;
• good attitude of staff and comfortable conditions of stay in hospitals.

The main advantage for patients is that leukemia treatment in Israel will be cheaper than similar services in clinics in Germany and Spain.

Foreign patients can go to Israel for treatment of leukemia even if the initial phase of therapy was organized at their place of residence. With the help of coordinators-doctors of Experts Medical, you can get advice from an oncologist who specializes in the treatment of leukemia in Israel using innovative technologies.

Leave a request on the website so that a coordinator-doctor will contact you and help organize treatment for leukemia in Israel as soon as possible.