Blood cancer treatment aims
Treatment for blood cancer can be given for different reasons. For some people, the aim is to get rid of the cancer. For others, treatment aims to keep the blood cancer under control, so you can live with it and lead a good quality of life. Your doctor will let you know the aim of any treatment they recommend for you.
Remission
For some people diagnosed with blood cancer, the aim of treatment is remission. There are different levels of remission:
- Complete remission means that scans or tests show no signs of cancer, and your symptoms have gone.
- Partial remission means there are only small numbers of cancer cells left.
What is refractory blood cancer?
If the cancer does not respond to initial treatment, or comes back quite soon after finishing treatment, it’s called refractory. If you have refractory blood cancer, there are usually other treatments you can try.
"If your first treatment doesn’t work, there are lots of other options. There’s a whole toolkit of things the doctors can try."
What is relapsed blood cancer?
If you go into remission, but the blood cancer comes back some time later, this is called relapse. If you have blood cancer that comes back, there are usually other treatments you can have with the aim of getting into remission again.
Managing chronic blood cancer
Some types of blood cancer cannot be cured, but can be managed with ongoing treatment. These types of blood cancer are often called chronic blood cancer. Examples include chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), and myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs).
The aim of treatment for chronic blood cancer is to keep the cancer at a low level, or achieve a remission for a period of time.
Many people with chronic blood cancer can have a normal life expectancy, and regular medication or treatments keep them stable. If the cancer begins to progress, you may need more intensive treatment to get it back under control.
"People assumed I would be undergoing chemotherapy, but my treatment is actually very different and involves taking daily medication. I told my family and friends that whilst I had cancer, the prognosis was very good and that I would likely live a normal lifespan."
Supportive care
Supportive care helps manage the symptoms and side effects of cancer and its treatment. Supportive care does not treat cancer itself, but many people have it alongside blood cancer treatment. Sometimes you might have supportive care on its own.
Read more about supportive care.
Want to talk?
If you have questions or worries, ask a blood cancer nurse. Our specialist nurses can help you make sense of things. So you can talk to your hospital team with confidence.
About this information
First published October 2026. Next full review due October 2029. We may make factual updates to the information between reviews.
Thank you to clinical nurse specialist Abbie Sellars and specialist registrar Dr Izzy Wood for checking the clinical accuracy of this information.
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