Leukemia is a type of cancer that begins in the tissues of the body that make up blood. It is basically cancer of the blood and bone marrow and leads to a reduction in white blood cells in the body.
The treatment to be given for leukemia should be such that it increases the number of white blood cells in the bloodstream. For people with leukemia, the good news is that effective treatment can be provided with the help of umbilical cord blood.
Cord blood is the blood that is obtained from the umbilical cord when a baby is born. This blood remains in the placenta and umbilical cord that is released just when the baby is born.
Umbilical cord blood is known as a source of stem cells, as they are present in large numbers. Stem cells are basically obtained from an embryo, which can be an ethical concern for some people. However, it helps provide a great solution to the disorder, leukemia.
The ability of stem cells is to change and transform into any other cell or tissue to heal and repair damaged ones. This is one of the reasons why it can be used to cure leukemia.
The process by which umbilical cord blood is used to cure leukemia occurs when this blood is obtained from a mother who has just given birth. The person with leukemia is given a high dose of chemotherapy and the stem cells begin to do their job of replacing damaged cells.
The real treatment takes place when the patient receives an infusion of stem cells, which begin to produce white blood cells so that the number of white blood cells reaches the normal number. Therefore, umbilical cord blood obtained at birth can be stored for use when needed.
