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 navigators serve 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

Leukemia involves 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

Lymphomas affect 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 myeloma is 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 as chromosomal analysis with 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.

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

The success rate of targeted therapy for chronic myeloid leukemia, for example, has been so good that we see better results without chemotherapy in these patients. That targeted therapy, and others like it, is available at OSF HealthCare.

And if you need an advanced surgical option we don’t provide directly, such as a bone 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.