Every three minutes, someone in the United States is diagnosed with a blood cancer—either leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma, according to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. And in Arizona, nearly 4,000 people will be diagnosed with these cancers this year. Blood cancers are complex diseases with dozens of types, subtypes and variants requiring leading-edge treatments and expert care.
At the Blood Cancer Center at City of Hope Phoenix, innovation and compassion are the cornerstone of our patient-centered care model. Our multidisciplinary team of board-certified hematologic oncologists, radiation oncologists and supportive care clinicians work with each patient to deliver a personalized care plan tailored to his or her individual needs and goals. And our team of supportive care providers works collaboratively with patients, family members and their doctors to help manage the often-challenging symptoms and side effects of these diseases.
Cancer that develops in blood-forming tissue and blood cells. It is the 10th most common cancer diagnosed in the U.S.
Learn more about leukemiaCancer of the lymphocytes. The most common types are non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma.
Learn more about lymphomaSometimes called bone marrow cancer, it develops in plasma cells that produce antibodies that fight disease.
Learn more about myelomaAmyloidosis is a group of rare disorders in which the body produces abnormal proteins called amyloids. Deposits of these deformed proteins may accumulate in organs or other tissues throughout the body, causing serious symptoms and sometimes leading to organ failure.
This is not a cancer, but patients with multiple myeloma may develop a type of the disease called AL amyloidosis. This occurs when plasma cells produce amyloids (A) called light chains (L) that may build up in organs.
AL amyloidosis is the most common form of the disease and is estimated to occur in up to 15 percent of multiple myeloma patients. It is more common in men.
The team of experts at the Blood Cancer Center at City of Hope Phoenix has the experience to accurately diagnose amyloidosis and develop treatment plans for the condition. Treatments for amyloidosis may include chemotherapy, targeted therapy and/or stem cell transplantation.
Blood cancers are a group of complex diseases, including dozens of types and sub-types. Some are acute and aggressive; others are indolent or chronic. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma alone has more than 30 types and sub-types of the disease.
That’s why it’s important to consult with an experienced team of doctors trained to identify each patient’s specific blood cancer type.
At the Blood Cancer Center at City of Hope Phoenix, our multidisciplinary team of experts uses leading-edge tools and technologies to diagnose these diseases and develop a treatment plan tailored to each patient’s individual needs. And we’ll use imaging and laboratory tests to monitor the patient's response to therapy and modify the treatment plan as needed.
The Blood Cancer Center at City of Hope Phoenix offers many groundbreaking and evidence-based treatment options for patients with leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma.
Depending on the patient’s specific diagnosis and individual needs, those treatments may include:
In this procedure, healthy stem cells are harvested from blood or bone marrow and then infused into the patient to help stimulate the growth of new, healthy cells. The doctors at the City of Hope Phoenix Blood cancer Center are experts in both main types of stem cell transplantation:
Immunotherapy drugs are designed to stimulate a response to help the patient’s immune system better recognize and attack cancer cells. These drugs are designed to either seek out specific features on cancer cells or disrupt signals they use to evade the immune system. At the City of Hope Phoenix Blood Cancer Center our doctors are at the leading edge of these emerging treatments, including:
Radiation therapy may be used to destroy blood cancer cells, or to relieve pain or discomfort caused by an enlarged liver or spleen, or swollen lymph nodes. It may also help to treat pain from bone damage caused by cancer cells growing in the bone marrow. In addition, radiation therapy may be given in low doses just before a stem cell transplant.
Chemotherapy is a first-line treatment option for some types of blood cancers and may also be used to help prevent the disease from recurring. Treatment may include a combination of chemotherapy drugs or chemotherapy with other treatments, including immunotherapy and radiation therapy. Chemotherapy may be given in high doses to suppress the immune system so that it can be replenished with healthy cells in a stem cell transplant.
Blood cancers are unique among cancers because they usually do not form solid tumors. Therefore, surgery is rarely an option to treat blood cancers.
Learn more about treatment options for leukemia | lymphoma | myeloma
City of Hope Phoenix is accredited by the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT), which is the gold standard of excellence in cellular therapy, including hematopoietic cell transplantation. The designation recognizes the high-quality standards met or exceeded by the City of Hope Phoenix Hematologic Malignancy and Cellular Therapy Program’s adult autologous transplant, immune effector cellular therapy and CAR T cell therapy procedures.
FACT, an internationally recognized accrediting body for hospitals and medical institutions that perform stem cell transplants, recognizes excellence by facilities that meet rigorous standards, including those on clinical care, donor management, apheresis collection, processing, storage, transportation, autologous administration and cell release.
The experts at the Blood Cancer Center at City of Hope Phoenix are committed to offering state-of-the-art treatments for blood cancer patients. Explore the links below to learn more about each one.
Jeffrey R. Schriber, M.D., F.R.C.P.
Medical Director, Bone Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy
James Slack, M.D.
Hematologic Oncologist
Jeremy T. Larsen, M.D.
Hematologic Oncologist
Tibor Kovacsovics, M.D.
Hematologic Oncologist
Aileen Go, M.D.
Associate Director of Cellular Therapy
Misam Zawit, M.D., M.P.H.
Hematologic Oncologist
Blood cancers and their treatments may cause difficult symptoms and side effects that may compromise the immune system and require vigilance and expert care. As part of our supportive care model designed to help patients stay strong during treatment, the care team may recommend a number of evidence-based supportive therapies, such as:
To prepare for a stem cell transplant, a patient’s immune system is all but wiped out, usually by chemotherapy, to make way for new, healthy immune cells.
Graft vs. host disease (GVHD) is a complication that develops after a patient receives his or her new stem cells from another person in an allogeneic transplant . The disease occurs when immune system cells from the donor (the graft) attack body cells in the recipient (the host).
Severe GVHD may be life threatening.
Symptoms may include:
At the Blood Cancer Center at City of Hope Phoenix, our doctors have the experience to treat GVHD with a variety of options designed to help reduce the symptoms of this reaction.
"I called City of Hope right away and made an appointment. Within the next week, I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, staged, given my treatment options and assured that I was not alone in my fight. I was on a team now—which I was to be a big part of—and we were going to do everything possible to beat this disease."
The doctors at the Blood Cancer Center at City of Hope Phoenix are committed to improving treatment options for blood cancer patients. As part of that commitment, we offer qualified patients carefully selected clinical trials designed to study new therapeutic approaches that may not otherwise be available.
City of Hope offers clinical trials as part of our commitment to bringing our patients new and innovative cancer treatment options, especially for patients with advanced cancer or those who may have run out of standard-of-care approaches.
The care team helps to identify patients who may qualify for any of our ongoing clinical trials, and if so, help them enroll.
Learn more about our clinical trials for leukemia | lymphoma | myeloma
