Leukemia and lymphoma are two of the three primary blood cancers. Leukemia, a cancer of white blood cells, prevents the cells from fighting infections in the body. Lymphoma is cancer of the lymphatic system, and affects a type of white blood cell called lymphocytes. While the causes of these cancers remain unknown, great strides in treatment, some of which originated from Yale Hematology research, are improving survival rates. Yale uses a multidisciplinary approach to treating leukemia and lymphoma. We offer comprehensive diagnosis and treatment with the overall goal of bringing about a complete remission. Treatment approaches for blood cancers may include chemotherapy, radiation oncology, stem cell or marrow transplantation, or immunotherapy. Each patient receives an individual treatment plan, which includes standard care and/or clinical trials, which offer novel treatment options. Leukemia After initial blood work to identify the level of white blood cells relative to red blood cells and platelets, further testing, such as diagnostic blood tests, flow cytometry, a bone marrow biopsy, and/or molecular/genetic testing, will determine the type of leukemia and severity of disease. There are multiple types of leukemia including: Acute lymphocytic leukemia Acute myeloid leukemia Chronic lymphocytic leukemia Chronic myeloid leukemia Yale Medicine scientists can determine the particular mutation of the cell and target the mutation. Treatment may include chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, corticosteroids, and/or stem cell transplant. Lymphoma Lymphoma is classified into two broad categories: Hodgkin’s lymphoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Doctors confirm a lymphoma diagnosis through a lymph node biopsy. Further testing may be performed to determine the disease progression. The most common treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma is chemotherapy. Novel immunotherapy may also be used. Treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma may include active surveillance, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy, or stem cell transplantation. Yale Hematology researchers are conducting numerous clinical trials to test new innovative treatment options in both leukemia and lymphoma.

The Hematology Program at Smilow Cancer Hospital offers comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of blood cancers: lymphoma, leukemia, and myeloma. While the causes of these cancers remain unknown, great strides in treatment, some of which originated from Yale Cancer Center research, are improving survival rates. The overall aim of treatment is to bring about a complete remission. Treatment approaches for blood cancers may include chemotherapy, radiation oncology, stem cell or marrow transplantation, or immunotherapy. Each patient receives an individual treatment plan, which includes standard care and/or clinical trials, which offer novel treatment options. Yale hematopathologists employ the complete range of diagnostic tools available, including bone marrow examination, bone imaging, M protein analysis, cytogenetics, immunophenotyping, and FISH and PCR analysis, as well as genetic testing and the identification of markers that guide prognosis. Additionally, patients have access to caregivers who help them cope with the physical, emotional, and psychological issues related to these cancers. Advanced practice nurses and social workers assist with education, general information, and practical issues of travel and accommodation assistance. The blood cancers we are fighting: Lymphoma is the most common blood cancer, affecting 81,000 Americans each year. While its rates continue to rise, there have also been rapid advances in treatment, and the current 5-year survival rate for all people diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma is 87%. Leukemia is a malignant cancer of the bone marrow and blood, diagnosed in 60,000 Americans each year. It is the most common cancer in children and teens. The leukemia death rate for children ranging from birth to age 14 in the United States has declined 60% over the past three decades, due to treatment advances. Myeloma is a disease of the plasma cell, and affects approximately 34,000 new patients annually. Overall survival in patients with myeloma has shown improvement in recent years, with treatments recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is a precursor condition that could potentially lead to cancer and should be closely evaluated and monitored. Our myeloma specialists are dedicated to the care of these patients and see them as part of a MGUS Clinic. Stem Cell Transplant In an effort to destroy abnormal cancerous cells in leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma, stem cell transplants are often used. Yale is the only center in Connecticut offering allogeneic transplant, a transplant using compatible donor stem cells. Autologous stem cell transplant helps to rebuild bone marrow that’s injured or destroyed during high-dose drug therapies used to treat some cancers. An allogeneic stem cell transplant involves receiving stem cells from a compatible donor, potentially a family member. To see how Yale Cancer Center compares to Transplant Centers in

The Hematopathology Program specializes in the evaluation of lymph nodes, bone marrow, blood, spleen, and hematolymphoid tissues in other organs. The faculty are board-certified in this specialty, and have expertise in both anatomic and clinical pathology aspects of hematopathology. We render critical, time-sensitive diagnoses of diseases ranging from lymphomas and leukemias to benign, infectious/inflammatory disorders. We use state-of-the-art technologies to make accurate and comprehensive diagnoses on a wide range of entities. These include, but are not limited to, aggressive and indolent lymphomas, chronic myeloid neoplasms, acute leukemias, and plasma cell neoplasms. We work closely with physicians in the hematology/oncology division of Internal Medicine, with one-on-one consultations, as well as multiple weekly multidisciplinary tumor conferences to discuss difficult diagnoses. Our services include examination of the following: · Hodgkin’s disease Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma Lymphoma Leukemia Myelodysplasia Myeloproliferative disorders Anemia Immune deficiency and opportunistic infections