Your Source for the Most Advanced Blood Cancer Treatment
Blood cancers, which are known to clinicians as hematologic malignancies affect bone marrow, lymph nodes, blood cells, and the lymphatic system. These play a very important role in our health.
- Bone marrow is found in our bones; it’s the spongy center portion of the bone and is where new blood cell production occurs.
- Lymph is a colorless fluid that is passed through lymph nodes, part of our body’s circulatory system. We have hundreds of lymph nodes in our bodies.
- Blood cells are found in our blood—they start out as stem cells and mature into red or white blood cells and platelets.
- The lymphatic system can be thought of as a network of tissues and organs throughout our bodies. The purpose of the lymphatic system is to ensure the flow of lymph throughout the body. You might think of lymphatic system as your immune system.
Hematologic malignancies—or types of cancer such as lymphoma, leukemia, myeloma, and myelodysplasia affect bone marrow, lymph nodes, blood cells, and the lymphatic system.
What happens to create these malignancies or blood cancers? Basically, abnormal blood cells—or cancerous cells—begin to start growing out of control and begin interfering with normal blood cells. Normal blood cells are needed to fight off infection. When normal blood cells become compromised, malignancies can occur.
As these changes are occurring, a wide range of blood cancer symptoms may emerge. Blood cancer symptoms can include fever or chills, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, unexplained weight loss, frequent nosebleeds, other bleeding or bruising, excessive perspiration and bone pain. Since many of these symptoms may also be present in people who are not suffering from a hematologic malignancy, it’s important to seek guidance from your doctor or healthcare provider.
While blood cancers can be serious, blood cancer survival rates have been increasing over time as blood cancer treatment has evolved based on research and advancements in treatment. Research by our team has helped to contribute to these improvements.
RWJBarnabas Health takes a multidisciplinary approach to care. Patients benefit from the most promising therapies, techniques, and technologies to treat patients with blood cancers. Because world-class blood cancer treatment requires a collaborative approach across many specialties, our cancer care teams thoroughly review cases regularly to evaluate treatment options and therapies for each patient. Our team approach ensures that every individual receives the highest level of clinical expertise and that all aspects of care are coordinated on an individualized basis.
Learn more about the types of blood cancers we treat, as well as patient stories and details on clinical trials.
Through our partnership with Rutgers Cancer Institute, New Jersey’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, we provide patients access to the full spectrum of therapeutic procedures and advanced treatment options such as blood and marrow transplantation, the latest clinical trials, immunotherapy and other cellular therapies. Rutgers Cancer Institute and RWJBarnabas Health is one of the first programs in the state to offer CAR T-cell therapy. CAR T-cell therapy is currently only offered at centers that perform stem cell transplants, have specially trained clinicians and healthcare personnel, and are FACT (Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy) certified.
To contact one of New Jersey’s best blood cancer specialists call
844-CANCERNJ or
844-226-2376.
EBC Radio Interview About Blood Cancers
Listen as Rajat Bannerji, MD, PhD, Chief of Hematologic Malignancies at Rutgers Cancer institute of New Jersey speaks with EBC Radio about blood cancers.