Haematology Service Treatments
Haematology Service Treatments - Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
| Peter MacCallum Haematology Service treats all leukaemias (acute and chronic), Myelodysplastic syndrome and myeloproliferative diseases. |
| Also: • Hodgkin’s and non-hodgkin’s lymphomas • Multiple myeloma and related diseases • Aplastic anaemia • Other non-malignant haematological and autoimmune diseases • Clotting and bleeding problems. Treatment for cancer may include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery and/or bone marrow transplantation. |
| Surgery and or bone marrow (or stem cell) transplantation |
| Surgery is often used to obtain a tissue sample to diagnose and classify a haematologic disease, but it is rarely used as a treatment option. Also, surgery is sometimes used to help strengthen weak or thin bones. This involves using a plate, screws or pins to hold the bone together or support a weak section of the bone. Bone marrow or stem cell transplantation may be advised if your disease come back, does not respond to treatment or if there is a high risk of it coming back. It allows you to have higher doses of chemotherapy. This may control your disease for longer. This treatment is not usually advised for older patients; as it can be exhausting and has significant risks. |
| Chemotherapy |
| Chemotherapy is the use of anti-cancer drugs. The aim is to destroy all cancer cells while doing the least possible damage to normal cells. The drugs work by stopping the cancer cells from growing and reproducing. Different types of drugs are used. Chemotherapy may be taken as tablets or by injection into the vein. Steroids are often added to chemotherapy to help it work. Steroids are made in the body, but they can also be made artificially and used as treatment for diseases such as multiple myeloma. |
| Radiotherapy |
| Radiotherapy treats cancer by using x-rays to kill cancer cells. These x-rays can be targeted to cancer sites in your body. Treatment is carefully planned to do as little harm as possible to your normal body tissues. Radiotherapy is very effective for the relief of bone pain caused by multiple myeloma, helps to prevent the bone fractures, and may also relieve other conditions such as pressure on the spinal cord. |
| More information on Haematologic Cancer |