Hematologic Oncology

New Jersey Blood Cancer Specialists

Hematologic oncology is the practice of diagnosing and treating all types of cancers and blood disorders. Our board-certified hematologists and medical oncologists work together with a multidisciplinary approach that combines compassionate care with advanced techniques and the latest technology. As the most comprehensive health care delivery system in the state of New Jersey, together with Rutgers Cancer Institute, the state’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, our facilities offer the most advanced approaches to cancer treatment with dynamic teams of cancer care specialists and researchers. We provide access to innovative clinical trials, precision medicine, immunotherapy, sophisticated radiation therapy techniques and complex surgical procedures to treat the most common, as well as the most complicated and rare cancers.

Because blood cancer often overlaps with blood disorders, which has the potential to affect other organs and body areas, our hematologists at RWJBarnabas Health collaborate with medical experts in nearly every specialty, from internal medicine to pathology to transplantation and more. Thanks to this multidisciplinary team approach, our experts can expedite any critical care needs of our patients.

What Is Blood Cancer?

Also called hematologic cancers, blood cancers start in the bone marrow, where blood is produced. Blood cancer occurs when abnormal blood cells start to grow out of control and interrupt the function of other normal blood cells whose responsibility is to fight off infection and produce new blood cells.

The 3 main blood cancer types are leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma:

• Leukemia involves the body’s infection-fighting white blood cells, which begin to grow abnormally, which impairs their function. Treatment for leukemia is often complex, and it depends on the type of leukemia the patient has, among many other factors. Common treatments include chemotherapy as a drug treatment to kill leukemia cells, targeted therapy to attack specific vulnerabilities in the cancerous cells, radiation therapy to damage the leukemia cells with high-energy beams, and stem cell transplants.
• Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system, the body’s germ-fighting network. The 2 main subtypes are Non-Hodgkin and Hodgkin lymphoma. The cancer begins when disease-fighting white blood cells called lymphocytes develop a genetic mutation that tells these cells to multiply rapidly. Treatment may begin with active observation, as some forms of lymphoma are very slow-growing. Other treatment options may include chemotherapy to destroy fast-growing cells, radiation therapy to kill cancer cells with high-energy beams, a bone marrow transplant, or other treatments.
• Myeloma is a blood cancer that affects the plasma cells of the blood. Plasma is responsible for disease- and infection-fighting antibodies. Myeloma cells multiply in the bone marrow where they sometimes travel through the bloodstream and collect in other bones of the body. Because it can occur at many sites in the patient’s bone marrow, it is often called multiple myeloma. Treatment for multiple myeloma may not be necessary if the patient isn’t experiencing any symptoms, but for those who do require treatment, there are a number of procedures that can control the disease.

Clinical Teams Experienced in Caring for People Like You

Our team is here to provide the highest level of hematologic oncology care in New Jersey. We offer a compassionate approach to treating cancer, and we welcome you to contact us to learn more, or to request a tour of our facilities.

To make an appointment at RWJBarnabas Health with one of our hematologic oncologists please visit our Physician Locator to find a provider or call 844-CANCERNJ or 844-226-2376.