Blood Cancer Treatments Keep Getting Better

• Today’s treatments offer more options for those with multiple myeloma, leukemia and lymphoma

  Blood cancers account for nearly 1 in 10 cancers diagnosed in the U.S. each year. For those faced with myeloma, leukemia, or lymphoma, the swift pace of improvements in research and treatment are making a difference.  

  Improving options—and outcomes

  In just the last five to seven years, new therapies have emerged to help improve outcomes for people faced with these diseases, says Rashmi Khanal, MD, a hematologist-oncologist at Fox Chase Cancer Center.

  “It seems every month there’s a new therapy that’s approved for blood cancer now,” Dr. Khanal says.

  Treatments are evolving so rapidly that, in some cases, a patient whose blood cancer has come back after being in remission may have new treatment options that were not previously available.  

  Blood cancers, like myeloma, leukemia, and lymphoma, affect the blood cells, the bone marrow, or the lymphatic system. Treatment isn’t one-size-fits-all. The best approach depends on the type of cancer a patient has, how aggressive it is, and the patient’s individual risk factors based on their tumor biology.

  What follows are just a few of the advanced treatments hematologic (blood) cancer specialists at Fox Chase Cancer Center offer today.  

  Targeted therapies

  These therapies destroy cancer cells by targeting specific mutations and pathways that lead to cancer. That includes treatments that change parts of the immune system, as well as those that target gene mutations and surface proteins on cancer cells. For some patients, targeted treatments are combined with high-dose chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant to help people stay in remission longer.  

  Stem cell/bone marrow transplants

  Stem cell transplants use a patient’s own stem cells or donor cells. In the treatment of cancer such as myeloma, stem cell transplants help achieve deeper remission once patients have good clinical response to their initial therapy.  And, when treating certain types of lymphoma or leukemia, a stem cell transplant may be an option if other treatments haven’t worked and a patient's cancer has come back.

  Physicians in the highly ranked Fox Chase–Temple University Hospital Bone Marrow Transplant Program have extensive experience performing stem cell / bone marrow transplants.  

  CAR-T therapy (chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy) 

  This immunotherapy uses a patient’s own immune cells to fight cancer. The T cells, taken from a patient’s own blood, are genetically modified to track down and destroy cancer cells.  

  Chemotherapy

  Researchers continue to develop new chemotherapy drugs, as well as find new ways to use existing chemo drugs. That’s helped improve outcomes and reduce treatment side effects.  

  Better palliative care

  Medicines that treat side effects of blood cancer, like pain or nausea, have also improved, elevating quality of life for patients.  

  It matters where you receive blood cancer treatments  

  At Fox Chase, we offer up-to-date diagnostic and treatment options for blood cancer, as well as personalized care. Patients are seen by a team of clinical experts, including specialists in hematology/oncology, radiation oncology, radiology, and pathology. This team approach is known to improve outcomes. And through clinical trials, our researchers are always looking for newer and better ways to diagnose and treat cancer. Our patients can often be a part of these promising therapies.  

  To schedule a consultation with a specialist at Fox Chase, call 888-369-2427 or request an appointment online.