What is Hematologic Oncology?
Hematology oncology unit is a unit that operates with the joint work of two main medical units. Hematology is a medical unit that treats diseases and problems related to blood, including blood cells, blood vessels, lymph nodes and bone marrow. It works on the diagnosis, treatment planning and treatment of the disease with the examinations performed within it. Oncology is a medical specialty that examines and treats cancer. Hematologic oncology works on the examination, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of blood diseases and blood-related cancers. Hematologist-oncologists are doctors who specialize in bleeding disorders and cancers.
During the consultation in the hematologic oncology clinic, the physician first listens to the patient’s complaints. He or she will ask questions about the patient’s medical history, including family history and allergies. Then vital signs such as heart rate, blood pressure and vision are checked and a physical examination is performed. Depending on the complaints and symptoms, various laboratory and imaging techniques may be used. The diagnosis can be made with blood tests, bone marrow tests, biopsies and imaging tests.
If a person is diagnosed with any hematologic oncology disease, treatment is planned to be specific to the disease and the person. Treatment includes chemotherapy, radiation therapy, blood transfusion, bone marrow transplantation or immunotherapy.
Hematologic oncology diseases require a specialized approach. While individuals with complaints about the diseases should apply to a health institution, it is recommended that they prefer health institutions with specialist physicians in this field. Hisar Hospital Intercontinental is a healthcare institution that closely follows medical developments and includes specialist doctors in the field of hematological oncology.
Which Diseases Does Hematologic Oncology Treat?
In the hematologic oncology unit, all diseases related to blood cells, vessels, lymph nodes and bone marrow are examined and treated. The diseases examined within the scope of this unit can be listed as follows;
- Lymphoma: White blood cells are an important part of the immune system. Lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects white blood cells. It is characterized by enlarged lymph nodes, in other words, swollen lymph nodes. These symptoms can be observed in different parts of the body. Lymphoma is a type of cancer that usually develops due to changes in the gene structure of growing blood cells. There are various treatment options such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy or stem cell transplantation.
- Multiple myeloma: The bone marrow, which is involved in the production of blood cells, is a spongy tissue found in the structure of some bones. Multiple myeloma is a type of bone marrow cancer. Multiple myeloma cancer can affect the spine, skull, pelvis and ribs. It can cause symptoms such as bone pain, increased blood calcium levels and weight loss. It is currently not known exactly what causes myeloma.
- Acute and chronic leukemia: Leukemia is a type of cancer that develops in white blood cells. White blood cells are one of the most important parts of the immune system that fights infections and various diseases in the body. If leukemia develops, the bone marrow starts to produce abnormal white blood cells. Leukemia is divided into two main groups: acute and chronic. Leukemia is a common type of cancer in childhood.
- Anemia (lack of blood): Anemia is a low number of red blood cells in the body. It is also popularly called anemia. There are different types of anemia, including hemolytic anemia, sickle cell disease, thalassemia or anemia caused by bleeding. It can cause various symptoms such as feeling tired all the time, elevated pulse rate and jaundice. It can be treated with medication and blood transfusions. If anemia develops due to a different disease, different treatment methods can also be used to treat the underlying disease.
- Leukopenia: It is a disease that occurs when the number of white blood cells is lower than normal. Patients become vulnerable to infections with a decrease in other white blood cells, especially neutrophils, which undertake the defense mechanism in the immune system.
- Thrombocytopenia (low number of cells called platelets in the blood): The small colorless cells in the blood that help blood clotting are called platelets. With thrombocytopenia, there are fewer platelets in the body than normal levels. While the platelet count of a healthy person should be between 150,000 and 450,000 mm3, this number is lower than 150,000 mm3 in patients with thrombocytopenia. Thrombocytopenia, which initially causes no symptoms, can cause bleeding in the long term. Thrombocytopenia can develop due to congenital or acquired causes.
- Bleeding and clotting disorders: There are hematologic diseases, especially thrombocytopenia, that prevent blood clotting or cause it not to clot sufficiently. Such diseases are usually manifested by symptoms such as bleeding gums, easy bruising, difficulty stopping bleeding or blood in the stool. These disorders can be caused by the use of various medications, genetic factor disorders, viral infections, autoimmune diseases or leukemia.
- Immune-related diseases: Many diseases examined in hematology, especially leukopenia, are related to the immune system. Primary and secondary immunodeficiencies may also negatively affect the normal functioning of the immune system. If the immune system malfunctions, people may become vulnerable to viruses and bacteria. In addition to increasing the risk of contracting diseases, immune-related diseases can become life-threatening in later years.
Each of the diseases examined within the scope of the hematologic oncology unit are diseases that may pose a life risk if they progress. If symptoms of diseases are observed, a health institution with a hematological oncology unit should be consulted. In case of diagnosis, treatment and consultations with the doctor should not be interrupted.
Services in the Hematologic Oncology Unit
The hematologic oncology unit provides a variety of services within the scope of diagnosis, treatment planning and treatment. By undertaking the treatment of many life-threatening hematologic diseases, it works to improve the quality of life of patients and prevent the disease from becoming life-threatening. In this direction, different services are provided in the hematologic oncology unit. The services in the hematologic oncology unit can be listed as follows.
- Outpatient department where the symptoms of the disease are evaluated and the treatment protocol is decided
- HLA typing laboratory
- Hemapheresis laboratory
- Cryopreservation
- Stem cell processing laboratory
- Intensive care units where post-transplant patients are cared and monitored
- Inpatient service
Each service in the hematologic oncology unit ensures that all the approaches needed by the patient are met. In the outpatient clinic, the patient is evaluated by the hematologic oncologist. Samples taken through laboratories are evaluated. The HLA typing laboratory provides detailed analysis of the diseases examined by the unit. If the patient is decided to undergo stem cell transplantation, stem cell processing laboratories with advanced systems provide services. If needed after transplantation, intensive care units and inpatient services operate. All branches serving within the scope of the unit work in coordination.
Treatments Applied in Hematologic Oncology Unit
After a patient is diagnosed with any hematologic disease, a patient-specific treatment plan is made. Within the scope of the treatments planned by hematologist oncologists, it is aimed to improve, stop or slow down the course of the disease. The treatments applied in this context can be listed as follows.
- Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy is the most common form of cancer treatment. As part of the treatment, the patient is given drugs to kill cancer cells. It is a form of treatment with side effects and the most common effects include fatigue and hair loss.
- Radiation therapy: This is a treatment that is applied to areas of the body with affected cancer cells. Radiation is given to the body as part of the treatment. The radiation energy aims to kill the cancer cells. Radiation therapy is applied in approximately half of cancer patients. It is a form of treatment with side effects.
- Blood transfusion: It is the process of giving blood taken from a healthy individual to the body.
- Immunotherapy: Immunotherapy is a form of treatment that supports the body to use its own immune system to kill cancer cells. Different types of immunotherapies can be applied depending on the patient’s health conditions. There are several types of immunotherapy, including immune checkpoint inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies and cancer vaccines.
- Bone marrow transplantation: A procedure to restore healthy red blood cells, white blood cells and platelet production. There are two different types: autologous transplantation and allogeneic transplantation. Bone marrow transplantation is a powerful treatment that restores blood production.
The hematologic oncology unit serving within Hisar Hospital Intercontinental follows up-to-date data in the diagnosis and treatment of hematologic oncologic diseases. By exhibiting multidisciplinary approaches where necessary, it works diligently for a professional treatment process and brings its patients together with the right treatments.