Surgery for acute myeloid leukemia

Surgery plays a very small part in the treatment of leukemia, because leukemia is a disease of blood and bone marrow and it is not possible to cure it with surgery. But surgery may be used to help deliver treatment. A plastic tube called a venous access device can be placed into a large vein. The tube allows chemo drugs or other medicines to be given and blood samples to be taken. This lowers the number of needle sticks needed during treatment. The patient must learn how to take care of the device to keep it from getting infected.