Therakos photopheresis

Why does my doctor call this treatment Photopheresis is called other names like photoimmunetherapy or extracorporeal photoimmune therapy orECP. These refer to the same treatment.
Will my health insurance pay for this? Medicare has approved photopheresis forreimbursement whether you are an inpatient oroutpatient where the treatment is medically necessaryand reasonable. A number of insurance companies mayreimburse for photopheresis treatments. You shouldconsult your insurance company about your coverage.
Please read this brochure carefully before you start toreceive your treatment. This brochure does not tell youeverything about your therapy. If you have anyquestions or are not sure about anything ask yourhealth professional. Keep this brochure, you may wantto read it again.
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Since a little of your blood stays in the tubing, your doctor will need to watch your blood pressure and Photopheresis is a medical treatment prescribed by your doctor. The process separates out some of your white blood You may be exposed to a small amount of UVADEX cells (WBCs) from the rest of your blood and exposes them when the white blood cells are returned to your body.
to ultraviolet light after adding a drug, UVADEX® This may make you more sensitive to sunlight. If you (methoxsalen). When exposed to ultraviolet A (UVA) have any diseases that make you more sensitive to light light, the drug becomes activated, which then destroys or you are taking any medicines that make you more diseased white blood cells. Depending on your medical sensitive to the sun, discuss this with your doctor. Afew patients have reported low-grade fever, or condition, this may help your body control the cells that increased redness of skin 6 to 8 hours after a treatment.
Since this treatment involves blood, are Photopheresis is done with sterile techniques and the There are several possible theories on the way Photopheresis hurts about the same as the needle stick you only blood you will be exposed to is your own. A new photopheresis works. One theory is that when the treated feel when you give blood or have a blood test.
sterile kit is used for each treatment procedure. Your white cells are returned to the body, the immune system senses a difference and the body works to eliminate thesecells and others like them. This medicine is always Your doctor should be aware of your blood counts andblood pressure and determine if you will be able to administered by a specialized doctor who can best explain tolerate the temporary removal of some of your blood The time may vary from patient to patient and sometimesfrom treatment to treatment. It usually takes three hours Patients who have an allergy to psoralen drugs should Currently photopheresis is indicated to alleviate skin problems associated with Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma (CTCL). In CTCL, a certain kind of T lymphocyte may be That depends on your medical condition and your contributing to problems you are experiencing with your doctor’s assessment. For patients with CTCL, two For twenty-four hours after a treatment, you should successive treatments a month are recommended. Your wear wrap-around sunglasses that provide UVA light doctor will select a schedule best suited to your needs.
protection. Avoid sunlight for a day and protect anyexposed skin with sun block (at least SPF15), especially What happens to me during photopheresis? if you have a history of skin cancer.
Does photopheresis have side effects? After your doctor prescribes photopheresis, a trainedmedical person inserts a needle or catheter into your vein.
Like all therapies especially those involving medicine, Some of your blood is then removed, just like when you photopheresis can cause some unwanted effects. Any have a blood test or give blood. This blood goes into a complication that happens from a needle stick can happen Your doctor has prescribed this treatment because he or machine that separates the blood cells. Everything is during photopheresis, such as a small chance of infection.
she hopes there will be a benefit for you. Everyone is returned to you immediately, except your white blood Since you will have a small part of your blood volume different and photopheresis may not work for you.
cells. These are treated with UVADEX and then moved outside of your body for a short period, you might feel Clinical trial patient data indicates that about one half through a light panel so that the UVA light can reach weak or dizzy during or immediately after the procedure.
the patients studied saw some improvement in their them. After the light therapy, your white blood cells are Anything that you experience should be reported to the skin involvement. It generally takes several treatments

Source: http://www.lymphomation.org/photophoresis-brochure.pdf