Blood Cancers

At OSF HealthCare, we take advantage of the latest diagnostic and therapeutic advances while taking a holistic approach to every patient and their family.

Board-certified hematologists, medical oncologists and a team of other specialists provide cutting-edge care designed with the comfort, care and health of you and your loved ones in mind.

In addition,our patient navigatorsserve as a personal guide and advocate throughout the cancer journey to help you make sure you know where you’re going, when and why. And they’ll help you overcome obstacles to care, too.

Conditions We Treat

Blood cancers include leukemia, lymphomas, multiple myeloma and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).

Leukemia

Leukemiainvolves the uncontrolled growth and improper maturation of white cells or the chronic proliferation of mature white cells. Newer therapies for either of these types of leukemia have produced excellent results.

Lymphomas

Lymphomasaffect the lymphatic system, causing dangerous cell proliferation in bone marrow, lymph glands, liver, and spleen. Lymphomas impair immunity, and patients can succumb to infections.

Multiple Myeloma

Multiple myelomais the proliferation of plasma cells, which causes the destruction of bones. Patients end up with fractures and elevated calcium levels. With current therapies, excellent control can be achieved in most patients.

Diagnosis

Sophisticated diagnostic tools, such aschromosomal analysiswith FISH studies or a PCR test, allow us to diagnose, monitor and even develop leukemia prognoses. The newer tests enable us to detect even one leukemic cell in a million. These tools can also be used to diagnose lymphoma.

Multiple myeloma is diagnosed based on bone marrow and blood tests. The therapeutic response is typically based on chromosomal analysis, as well.

We can perform a CT scan or a PET scan. We also have imaging technology, such as Bone Scans and MRI equipment. These tests are useful in defining the extent of the disease and the response to the treatment.

Treatment

We offer personalized therapy that is specific to the need of each patient.

Chemotherapyhas typically been used to treat these disorders. Lately,immunotherapywith antibodies has been used, too. So has a therapy that targets the enzymes that drive the growth.

例如，针对慢性髓系白血病的靶向治疗的成功率非常高，我们在这些患者中看到了不需要化疗的更好的结果。这种靶向治疗以及其他类似的治疗方法都可以在OSF HealthCare获得。

And if you need an advanced surgical option we don’t provide directly, such as abone marrow transplant, we are affiliated with various medical universities and partners to help us deliver that care.

We offer private chemotherapy treatment bedrooms and sunlit chemotherapy treatment bays staffed by certified oncology nurses. A nurse navigator works with patients to ease the treatment process.

Some OSF HealthCare facilities have an Integrative Therapy staff that offers services and programs for patients to reduce fatigue, promote relaxation, enhance well-being and uncover creative therapeutic talents.