As my Oncologist told me many years ago, Leukemia is Treatable, not Curable. Even when you think you are free and clear, the trigger that caused it is still lurking.
Treatment options have improved since my Diagnosis for CLL twelve Years ago. I have already lived past my initial “Sell By” Date although I was closer to Buying the Farm than I realized a few years ago.
And yes, I love Big Pharma, now more than ever.
That is not entirely true. Indolent (slow growing) Leukemias, the type you had, or have, are considered not curable. The reason is chemo mainly targets fast growing cells and since the cells in CLL are not fast growing, it's hard to get them all. Aggressive leukemias like ALL on the other hand, or its counterpart Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma, are potentially curable. That's the paradox. The ones that could potentially kill you, and quickly, are also potentially curable. Ones that take years and years to develop are incurable. But of course all that might change with CAR-T entering the market.
Here’s Doug Olson, the first patient cured of CLL using CAR-T.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cr26AFXiGfI