Cancer Fighters Thrive is a quarterly print and online magazine bringing readers practical, innovative and inspirational information about cancer treatment and survivorship.
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spring 2014 | cancer fighters thrive 15 cf thrive. com and are very effective with fewer side effects. Stem cell transplants are also more widely available now with the use of umbilical cord blood transplantation. WHAT QUESTIONS SHOULD A PATIENT NEWLY DIAGNOSED WITH A HEMATOLOGIC CANCER ASK HIS OR HER DOCTOR? Consider the following questions: • What are the benefts of treatment? • Is treatment likely to help me live longer with a good quality of life? • Will the treatment reduce my symptoms and make me feel better? • What are the side effects of the treatment? • What other options are available? • What will happen if I don't have the treatment? Q A HEMATOLOGIC CANCERS & Sagun Shrestha, MD Hematologist and Medical Oncologist Cancer Treatment Centers of America® Tulsa, Oklahoma WHAT IS A HEMATOLOGIC CANCER, AND HOW COMMON ARE THESE CANCERS? Hematologic cancers are also referred to as leukemias and lymphomas. Leukemias involve the blood and the bone marrow. The cells in bone marrow make abnormal cells, which form cancer. Lymphomas mainly involve the lymphoid tissue or the lymph nodes. There are different types of leukemias, including acute myeloid leu- kemia (AML), acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL), chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). There are two different types of lymphoma: Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's. WHAT ARE THE RISK FACTORS FOR THE VARIOUS TYPES OF HEMATOLOGIC CANCER? Environmental risk factors that may lead to the development of a hematologic cancer include exposure to chemicals, radiation, tobacco and chemotherapy drugs. Other risk factors include genetic abnormalities and ethnicity, which vary depending on the type of hematologic cancer. ARE THERE COMMON SYMPTOMS OF HEMATOLOGIC CANCERS? Common symptoms of hematologic can- cers include weakness, becoming easily fatigued, being prone to infections, bleed- ing from various areas like the gums, bruises, nose bleeds, vaginal bleeding, skin rash, swelling of lymph nodes and appearing pale. WHAT TYPES OF TREATMENT ARE AVAILABLE TO PATIENTS WITH HEMATOLOGIC CANCERS? The main treatment options for hematologic cancers include chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation and stem cell transplant. There are several different chemotherapy options for different hematologic cancers. (See page 42 for a feature related to stem cell transplantation.) ARE THERE ANY RECENT ADVANCES IN RESEARCH OR TREATMENT THAT ARE ESPECIALLY NOTEWORTHY? Research in the treatment of hematologic cancers is ongoing. New therapies are being tested through clinical trials conducted in a controlled environment to study the effectiveness of these new treatments. They are carefully designed and overseen by experts in the feld. I am particularly excited about the emergence of new drugs that are targeted to certain cells CANCER TYPE Q&A; FOR A FREE PRINT SUBSCRIPTION GO TO CFTHRIVE.COM cftSp#23vky.indd 15 2/3/14 11:12 PM