Leukemia, Lymphoma and Blood Cancers
Blood cancers, including leukemia and lymphoma, require specialized care. Our team includes hematologist-oncologists who deliver treatments that meet your needs.
What Are Blood Cancers?
With blood cancers, cells in your blood start multiplying, preventing them from doing their job. There are three types of blood cancers:
- Leukemia causes your body to produce abnormal levels of white blood cells. The cells affect your bone marrow (spongy substance inside your bones) and its ability to produce red blood cells.
- Lymphoma affects the network of tissue, the lymphatic system, that rids your body of excess fluid and helps you fight infection.
- Myeloma disrupts plasma cells, a type of white blood cells, affecting your ability to produce infection-fighting chemical messengers (antibodies).
Leukemia, Lymphoma and Myeloma Care: Why Choose Us?
With Trinity Health Michigan's cancer experts by your side, you can face your future with confidence. You receive safe, effective treatments in a comfortable, healing environment.
Highlights of our program include:
- High-quality care: Trinity Health Michigan excels in delivering appropriate services that meet your needs. These efforts have earned our program recognition from the American Society of Clinical Oncology. We are a certified Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI®) program, so you can count on us for exceptional care.
- Access to clinical trials: Our hematologist-oncologists participate in national clinical trials, giving you access to innovative treatment options. Your care may include new medications that are only available in experienced cancer research programs. Read more about cancer research and clinical trials.
- Personalized treatments: We accurately diagnose the condition, so you receive therapies that are best for your situation. Our whole-person approach means we coordinate your care and offer support. If you experience anxiety or depression, our cancer social workers help you find solutions. Learn more about supportive care and services.
- Nurse navigators: Your care may include many types of services, and you can count on our nurse navigators to coordinate them. Nurse navigators help make appointments and explain what to expect. Navigators also help you get the support you need and additional therapies for side effects so you focus on your health.
Blood Cancer Diagnosis
The first step in your care is an accurate diagnosis. If you have lymphoma, we take extra steps to determine which type it is. If it’s myeloma, we may conduct genetic testing to determine which treatment is most likely to be successful.
In some cases, we take a tissue sample (biopsy) from your bone marrow or lymph nodes. Our pathologists who specialize in diagnosing blood disorders evaluate the biopsy for results you can trust.
Treatments for Myeloma, Leukemia and Lymphoma
Blood cancers are different from cancers that affect organs. With “solid cancers” or tumors, treatment often includes surgery to remove abnormal cells. But surgery isn’t an option for leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma. Trinity Health Michigan offers many other therapies, including:
- Chemotherapy: We prescribe medications that attack cancer cells. Our years of experience enable us to select the chemotherapy drug that’s best for your needs. Find out more about chemotherapy and medical oncology.
- Radiation therapy: This option uses powerful beams of energy to prevent cancer cells from growing and spreading. Some treatments involve technology that delivers targeted beams of radiation. You may also receive an injection of medication that has radioactive substances to destroy cancer cells. Read more about radiation therapy.
- Supportive therapies: We help you avoid complications during and after treatment with supportive therapies. You may receive medications to help fight infection or blood transfusions to replace damaged blood cells.
Infusions for Blood Cancer at Trinity Health Michigan
We deliver blood transfusions and chemotherapy through a needle in your arm, a method known as infusion. Our infusion centers are designed with your comfort in mind and feature:
- Fresh, modern treatment areas with comfortable chairs (some with heated seats) and Internet access
- Private treatment bays so you can relax or take a nap
- Room for family or a friend to join you during treatment
- Nurses with extra training and certification in cancer treatments
- Locations close to home