How Do You Die From Leukemia?

For example, patients with chronic myeloid leukemia treated with a class of drugs called tyrosine kinase inhibitors now have a life expectancy approaching that of their peers who never had leukemia. Those with multiple myeloma may be treated initially with combinations of three or four drugs that can reduce the risk of the disease worsening or of dying by 50 percent compared to earlier treatments.

For many patients, though, even the best available therapies are not a cure. As cancerous leukemia or multiple myeloma cells grow unchecked, they fill precious bone marrow space and cause the normal cells there to die. Consequently, the bone marrow loses its capacity to make red blood cells, which provide oxygen to tissues; white blood cells, which fight infections; and platelets, which help stop bleeding.

With the bone marrow’s function compromised, patients can die from a variety of causes. Studies show that for leukemia patients, infections were the most common cause of death, most often bacterial infections but also fungal infections or a combination of the two. Bleeding was also a fairly common cause of death, often in the brain, lungs or digestive tract.

Similarly, for multiple myeloma, a British study of more than 3,100 patients treated from 1980 to 2002 found that 10 percent died within 60 days of starting therapy. Infections contributed to almost half of the deaths. Kidney failure contributed to 28 percent of deaths, while heart attack or stroke were responsible for 8 percent of deaths. Other causes of death can include blood clots and heart failure.