Learning about Leukemia

From BestHealth, September 2007

Patricia Holmes had been living with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) for eight years and having her blood count monitored periodically.

But she says it wasn’t until 2006, when she began seeing Dr. Leslie Ellis, a medical oncologist at Wake Forest Baptist specializing in leukemia, that she fully understood her disease.

CLL is a type of cancer that begins in the white blood cells of the bone marrow and then invades the blood. It affects mainly older adults and is rarely seen in people under age 40.

“Dr Ellis thoroughly explained CLL to me. I hadn’t realized how serious the disease could be,” said Holmes. “She started me on a chemotherapy regimen and later suggested I participate in a clinical trial evaluating a new drug. I tolerated this therapy much better than the first chemo drugs. I am doing very well and deem it a privilege to be treated here — everyone has been so wonderful and caring.”

Now Patricia Holmes is ready to get back to her passion — traveling and helping others. She has traveled to Africa to work with an orphanage, taught with a mission in Ghana and is looking forward to doing more.

Leukemia Program Strengths

• The Leukemia Program is one of the Southeast’s largest adult leukemia services and is widely recognized for excellence in patient care, teaching and clinical research.

• Active national research participation and collaboration between our laboratory and clinical researchers ensures that patients here are offered cutting edge therapies.